Barrie, creator of Peter Pan and Neverland, also wrote intelligent comedies for adults confounded by the fast-changing Edwardian era.

WSJ: Review: 2 J.M. Barrie comedies smart, breezy

But why should Americans, whose republic is founded upon the proposition that all men are created equal, be so fascinated by "Downton Abbey, " a soap opera (now in its second season on PBS) about the English landed aristocracy during the Edwardian era, in which all men are definitely not created equal?

WSJ: Theodore Dalrymple on the Secret Appeal of Downton Abbey

The Explorers Club was founded in 1904 to support scientific exploration--and also, one suspects, to give its Edwardian-era members an excuse to pursue fascinating adventures in exotic places.

FORBES: Magazine Article