A club fender is a raised fireside fender with a padded, upholstered seat running along the top rail, allowing people to sit around the fire. It typically consists of a metal frame, usually of polished brass, sometimes steel or iron, supported on uprights, with the seat covered in leather, often deep buttoned and close nailed.
The form is generally associated with the gentlemen's clubs of London in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, where members would sit at the fireside to warm themselves and talk, and it soon spread to country houses, hotels, libraries and smoking rooms. Most club fenders have a rectangular or three-sided shape with return ends, and some include seat cushions at the corners only. Since antique fenders were made for specific fireplaces, measurements are very important, and many buyers commission new examples or have period frames adapted to fit. Collectors look for heavy brass in good condition, sound joints and supports, and either original leather with a good patina or well-executed recovering. Although essentially a practical object, a club fender instantly lends a relaxed, clubbable atmosphere to a drawing room or library and is ideal where extra seating is needed.
