The Pic Nic Society attracted obsessive gamblers, eager amateur actors called Dilettanti, and gourmand diners. Taking advantage of a truce in a decade-long war with France (led by Napoleon, then First Consul), the Pic Nics wagered (and lost) that London might have a very French subscription society without political scandal. They took their name from … Continue reading The Pic Nics: A Club for Gamblers, Actors, and Pic Nic Dinners (1801)