The Matchcover Storyteller

A vintage 20 strike Lion matchcover for Joe Williams’ Peacock Club in Jacksonville, Florida.

This is not Joe Williams, the Jacksonville University basketball coach; nor is it Joe Williams, the fabled Count Basie vocalist. This is just… Joe Williams.

He had been a partner with Jack Middleton until they parted ways and Joe Williams opened his Peacock Club in. October 1944, to turn-away business. Sunny Dunhams orchestra was among the opening week acts.

In this iteration, the club lasted about a year and a half before Middleton and Williams reunited in business in 1946. The main reason was that they had simply been knocking heads against each other… Joe Williams’ Peacock Club And Jack Middleton’s Embassy club werejust taking business from each other and bidding against each other for the same acts. Reunited, they carried on under this name, the Peacock Club.