The Scarab Archives...a Rich History
Text by Patricia Reed

The Scarab Club was the outgrowth of the Hopkin Club which was started about 1907 by admirers of marine painter, Robert Hopkin. This loosely organized group met to discuss art, entertain artist celebrities, and sponsor exhibitions by local artists. After Mr. Hopkin's death in 1909, the group decided to organize a professional club. "The Scarab Club" name was decided upon in 1910 while members viewed a collection of precious gems and semi-precious stones owned by James Swan, the first club president, which included designs of ancient Egyptian scarabs. Since it is the ancient Egyptian symbol for resurrection and immortality, the particular scarab selected for the logo was the hard-working dung beetle. It was fitting because these artists wanted to be known as hard-working individuals whose artwork and ideals would be everlasting.