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A Social Register was, at one time, a book detailing just who was a member of "polite society" in a given country, city, or other locale. There has never been, at any time, a single all-encompassing Social Register known the world around. Instead, local indexes of powerful and wealthy individuals have been compiled at various times and places.
History
The precursor to the social register was the genealogical almanac, many of which were maintained more or less informally across Europe. In 1763, appeared the first edition of the Almanach de Gotha, which detailed the ancestry of many of the then-reigning European dynasties. This was followed in 1826 by Burke's Peerage, which identified the members of the peerage of the United Kingdom. The Gotha was useful in arranging suitable marriages. Burke's Peerage was likewise useful in assuring that one did not accidentally hobnob with "riffraff".
This concept was then extended and enlarged.
In America, one of the better known examples is the New York Social Register, first published in 1887 by Louis Keller. It initially consisted largely of the descendants of English or Dutch settlers who had built New York City.
While formerly published in separate editions for a number of American cities, including New York, San Francisco and Boston, and elite towns such as Wellesley, Ma, The Social Register is now released annually as a single national directory, published in winter and summer editions. Persons aspiring to be listed must be sponsored by four individuals currently appearing in its pages.
In addition to winter and summer addresses, the Social Register lists the educational backgrounds, maiden names, and club affiliations of listees. Juniors can be listed with their parents beginning at the age of 13.
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