The collection of the Detroit Club documents the activities of the social club from its inception in 1882, until its disbandment in 1996. After the club disbanded, members continued to meet through 2001 and the records reflect these continued meetings. This collection is a comprehensive documentation of the club’s activities. The collection is arranged into three main record groups: Administrative records, Financial records, and Membership records. Each record group documents the activities of the organization and have been further arranged into series and sub-series. Files within each record group and series have been arranged alphabetically; with the exception of oversized materials and digitized materials.

The ADMINISTRATIVE record group documents the activities of the organization and has been arranged into eight series: Building; By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation; Correspondence; Meeting Minutes; Publications; Reciprocating Clubs; and Visual Materials. Building records document the physical construction of the club’s building at 712 Cass Avenue, Detroit. Records include architectural drawings, contract agreements, proposals, floor plans, and renovations which have occurred on the property. The By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation series documents the club’s articles of incorporation and by-laws as well as any amendments made over time. Correspondence series documents communication to and from club administrators to members as well as promote club activities through promotional flyers. Meeting Minutes series is further arranged into four subseries which pertain to Annual Meetings; Board of Directors; Combined House Committee and Board of Directors; and House Committee. Minutes comprehensively record the activities at each individual meeting and are further sub-divided by years of occurrence. Meeting minute documentation occurs from 1883 through 1996, with a subsequent gap from 1910 through 1920. The Publications series includes those produced by the Detroit Club, and articles written about the club by local resources including the Detroit News and Free Press. Reciprocating Clubs series includes agreements, listings of, correspondence, privileges, and relations between the Detroit Club, and other social clubs throughout the city of Detroit, state of Michigan, and the continental United States. Lastly, the Visual Materials series documents club activities through photographs, posters, and scrapbooks. The series is further arranged into two sub-series, Photographs and Scrapbooks. The photographs document the people and interior club structure. There are 19 scrapbooks which comprehensively document club activities from 1951 through 1985.

The FINANCIAL record group documents the monetary transactions and fiscal responsibilities of the club, and have been further arranged into six series: Annual Reports; Appraisal Reports; Artwork; Audited Financial Statements; Stock Certificates, and Stock Certificates Returned. Annual Reports document the club’s fiscal activities throughout the preceding years, from 1906-2002, with subsequent gaps from 1910-1913, and from 1924-1959. TheAppraisal Reports series documents the club’s artwork collection, and includes documentation regarding purchased and donated works, as well as includes artist name, title, dimensions, and monetary appraisal from 1940-1998. Furnishings and property appraisals are also reported. Artwork series documents the art collection as well as loans, and sale of works. Records were created for insurance appraisals. Audited Financial Statements include a complete run of statements from 1973 through 1989, and record the club’s financial activities. Lastly, the series of Stock Certificatesand Stock Certificates Returned, documents the legal member ownership of the club from 1883 through 1999.

The MEMEBERSHIP record group expansively documents membership procedures from 1883 through 1996, and include applications for membership, member acceptance and resignations; membership proposals; inventory cards with name, occupation, date of birth and death; and membership committee meeting records from the mid-1980s and mid-1990s.