Social Register Association - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by Security-Columbian Banknote Company. Stub at left of stock. The Social Register is a semi-annual publication in the United States that catalogs members of American high society. It was first published in the 1880s by Louis Keller, a newspaper columnist, and was later acquired by Malcolm Forbes. Since 2014, the publication has been owned by Christopher Wolf.

Historically, the Social Register served as a directory of "old money" families and well-connected individuals from the Northeastern United States. However, in recent years, its membership has diversified in terms of both geography and ethnicity, reflecting changes in American society.

During the antebellum period in New York City, the social elite was a small, closely-knit group that did not require formal tracking. However, with the rise of the Gilded Age, wealthy and fashionable women began the custom of leaving calling cards at the homes of other notable women they visited. These calling cards were often compiled into "visiting lists," which were early versions of the social catalogs that the Social Register later formalized. The register became an essential resource for identifying and recognizing members of high society, and it has evolved over the years to maintain its relevance.