Social Victorians/1887 American Exhibition/Indigenous People Visit the Savage Club

Logistics

 * Saturday, 28 May 1887, Red Shirt and other native performers from Buffalo Bill's Wild West visit the Savage Club at the Savoy.
 * The Savage Club met at the Savoy
 * One of the founders and officers of the Savage Club was Henry Irving

Related Events

 * The American Exhibition, which opened on 6 May 1887

The Event Itself
Red Shirt and other Indigenous American cast members appeared at the Savage Club, at the Savoy (Wernitznig 79); according to Moses, Red Shirt, Fly Above, Little Bull as well as Buffalo Bill attended (Moses 57).

"Chit-Chat and the Drama"
REDSHIRT AT THE SAVAGE CLUB. During the house-dinner at the Savage Club on Saturday night the club was “invaded" by Redshirt, Fly Above, and some other chiefs from the Wild West Exhibition, accompanied by Buffalo Bill, Major Burke, Broncho Bill (the Indian interp[r]eter), and French Pate (the Cowboy artiste). Colonel Cody and Redshirt made speeches. Redshirt being especially attracted by the Indian trophies on the dining-room walls of the club, promised to send from his house in the West the calumet of his tribe as a present to the English "Savages.” ("Redshirt at the Savage Club")

"Chit-Chat and the Drama"
On Saturday night the Savage Club presents quite a brilliant appearance at the time fixed for its house dinner, the presidency of which was taken by Mr Wilson Barrett. In addition to the ordinary assembly of guests to whom the hospitable Savages are wont to give heart greetings, the gathering was graced by the presence of Red Shirt and many of the gentlemen connected with the American Exhibition. Red Shirt seemed to be astonished at the sumptuousness of the "wigwam" occupied by his pseudo-Savage friends. He made a graceful little speech, and the whole evening will long be remembered by those who were present. ("Chit-Chat and the Drama")

"Notes of News"
Savages at Home.

There was a great commingling on Saturday of the Savages of the Western prairies with their London brethren whose headquarters are in the Savoy. Mr. Wilson Barrett, fresh from his artistic triumphs in America, was in the chair, and in introducing the Hon. W. Cody he gracefully alluded to the appreciation expressed by General Sherman and General Porter of Buffalo Bill, both as a soldier and a man. In replying to the toast, Colonel Cody took the opportunity of thanking the English people for the kindness which he had received here, and contrasted the general politeness of all classes with the "go-as-you-please" fashion in vogue in American. The "prompt welcome dictated by good hearts" referred to by Colonel Cody had evidently made a deep impression on the visitors; but in spite of the array of arrows and scalps displayed on the walls of the Savage Club he anticipated some difficulty in explaining to the Indians the objects of the Savoy wigwam. Red Shirt who is one of the chiefs of the Sioux tribe, numbering about 80,000 [?] out of the 265,000 red men on American territory, made a characteristic speech through the medium of "Broncho Bill," the interpreter and in his own laconic manner thanked the "Savages" for receiving him with "the warm hand," and complimented Mr. Barrett on the way in which he smoked the "Peace Pipe." ("Notes of News")

L. G. Moses says
On the occasion of the visit, both Buffalo Bill and Red Shirt addressed the members. Speaking in Lakota Red Shirt hailed the London Savages as brothers, thanked them for the food, and promised to repay their generosity by sending them a pipe from his home to hang on their dining-room wall.41 (57 [check footnotes 39, 40, and 41 for Chapter 3.])

Catherine Layton says
Whilst the Savages developed an American-Indian theme in club décor and events they hosted, this has little to do with the name; they wanted to eschew monikers that smacked of status. Richard Savage was a penniless writer of Johnson's time who has imprisoned for debt. It was talent and wit that mattered. ... Bill Cody (Buffalo Bill, who took along Red Shirt and his fellow Indians in 1887)19. (Layton 288 [n. 19 BSI, 4 Sep. 1872, p. e; DET, 8 Mar. 1878, p. 2; HC, 21 June. 1873, p. 8; LS, 16 Jun. 1879, p. 3. ])

Cody says
From a classic mix of fact and fiction dictated, apparently, while Cody was in the U.K., Cody lists the visit to the Savage Club among other club visits, occasioning name dropping, etc., as usual. He says he and some of the performers spent a memorable evening at the Savage Club, with Mr. Wilson Barrett (just back from America) presiding, and an attendance comprising such great spirits as Mr. Henry Irving, John L. Toole, and all that is great in literary, artistic and histrionic London (Cody 724).

Who Was Present

 * Red Shirt
 * Fly Above (Flys Above?)
 * Little Bull (Moses 57)
 * Henry Irving likely?
 * William F. Cody
 * Major Burke
 * Broncho Bill
 * French Pate (Pete? Cowboy Pete?)
 * Wilson Barrett
 * Henry Irving
 * John L. Toole