Art historian Jennifer Dasal's new book "The Club" tells the story of the American Girls' Club, a Parisian safe haven founded in 1893 by Elisabeth Mills Reid at 4 Rue de Chevreuse in Montparnasse. The club provided affordable housing and meals for aspiring female American artists who faced obstacles their male counterparts did not, including societal pressure toward marriage, financial constraints, and safety concerns. Notable residents and participants included painters Anne Goldthwaite, Florence Lundborg, and sculptors Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller and Alice Morgan Wright, whose works and lives are chronicled in Dasal's account.
This history matters because it recovers a largely forgotten institution that supported women artists at a time when they were systematically excluded from formal training and professional networks. The club's story highlights both the achievements and the racial and personal struggles of these artists, including the rejection of Black sculptor Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, who nonetheless gained recognition from Auguste Rodin. By documenting this community, Dasal contributes to the ongoing revision of art history to include women and artists of color who were marginalized by the mainstream narrative.