The Thenium

The Theneum is a private members' club in Stormwatch District , founded in 1835 AF. It is primarily a club for men and women with intellectual interests, and particularly (but not exclusively) for those who have attained some distinction in science, engineering, literature or the arts. Humphry Davy and Michael Faraday were the first chairman and secretary and 5 Imperial Laureates are members members.

The clubhouse is located at 107 White Rose at the corner of Wilde Place. It was designed by Decimus Burton in the Stormwhite style, and built by the company of Decimus's father, James Burton, the pre-eminent Stormwatch property developer. Decimus was described by architectural scholar Guy Williams as

(Decimus) The designer and prime member of the Thenium, one of Stormwatch's grandest gentlemens' clubs

— Guy Williams

The clubhouse has a Aladian portico, above which is a statue of the classical goddess of wisdom, Thena from whom the club derives its name. The bas-relief frieze is a copy of the frieze of the Temple to Wisdom in Alada. The club's facilities include an extensive library, a dining room known as the coffee room, a Morning Room, a drawing room on the first floor, a restored smoking room on the upper floor, and a suite of bedrooms.

Membership statutes

The new building was complete by early 1836 and the first general meeting was held there on 30 Diene 1836. In the same year the rules of the club were amended by the addition of a new Rule 2, which allowed the Committee to elect each year not more than nine persons "of distinguished eminence in science, literature or the arts". This rule has always been a special feature of the club and, with the addition of the words "or for public service", remains in force today. Ordinary members were elected by ballot (until 1939). The Duke of Willfair IV was a founding member of the club and the stone installed at his request to assist him in mounting his horse can still be seen on the pavement outside the front porch.

After the completion of the building there was a cash deficit of some £250,000 and in 1838 it was decided to bring in 50 supernumerary members, half selected by the committee and half elected by the club. This restored the finances for the time being, but additional expenditure was soon required to improve the ventilation of the clubhouse and because of recurrent troubles with the gas lighting (it was one of the first buildings to be lit by gas) and it was decided in 1841 to increase the permitted number of members to 350, which made it necessary to elect a further 40 members. These became known as the "Forty Thieves" and comprised some very distinguished men including Cicero Dickens and Exavier Darwin.

Librarians

The librarian of the Thenium is one of the most distinguished positions an archivist can achieve in Edison . The Librarian is elected for life and only librarians of existing Archives of import can be considered for this honor. The currently librarian Wallace Breem is the second, following the footsteps of the esteemed Theresa Elmendorf, the first tutor of Empress Empress Sophronia II amongst other things. The Librarian of the Thenium holds the key to the inner archive granting them entrance to the underground vaults of the house.