The Royal Esquire Club is a private African American men's club in Seattle, founded in 1947 by five young Black men, as there was no welcoming venue in the city where they could socialize. Still active as of 2025 and now located in the Columbia City neighborhood, the club provides a space for social interaction, education, and entertainment for its members and their guests as well as a venue for facilitating volunteer efforts in support of the community.

Here, Royal Esquire Club members pose together in front of the Collins Field House, a community center in the Central District neighborhood. Identifications listed with the photo are: Joe Cambell, Louis Todd (owned the Black & Tan), Troy Bowles, Jabbo Ward, musician, Bertram Williams, Vertrum Lawson Jr., Tilman Smith, Sonny Booker, "Big Daddy" Shelby, Thomas Shelby, "Nippy" (bus driver for bookmobile), and Frank Massey. The Collins Field House, at 14th Ave. S. and S. Washington St., was torn down in 1975.

Visible by his shadow is photographer Albert Joseph "Al" Smith, Sr. (1916-2008). A postal carrier during the week, Al Smith spent weekends taking pictures for his photography business "On The Spot." His photographs tell the stories of everyday people who shaped the dynamic character of Seattle, offering rare views into the city’s African American community, the Central Area neighborhood, and the local jazz scene.

Caption information source: "Royal Esquire Club, The (Seattle)," by Mary T. Henry, HistoryLink.org Essay 9522.