What’s that? Can you hear that? Why, it’s ABBA’s “Dancing Queen!” Well that makes sense because this item is from the popular lost Houston nightclub, Elan. 

Elan was widely regarded as one of Houston's premier nightlife destinations during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Located at 1885 St. James Place, just west of the Galleria, it blended fine dining, dancing and private-club exclusivity at a time when Houston's booming oil economy was transforming the city into one of America's fastest-growing business centers. 

Founded by nightlife impresario Lance McFaddin, Elan wasn't intended to be just another disco. Memberships, strict dress codes and attentive service gave it the feel of an upscale social club where Houston's executives, professionals and well-heeled night owls gathered long after the workday ended. McFaddin consistently rejected the label "discotheque," preferring to describe Elan as an elegant social club where dancing simply happened to be part of the experience. But, I mean, you heard the ABBA, right? 

Inside, guests could enjoy an elegant dinner before the lights dimmed and the dance floor filled, making Elan a perfect reflection of Houston's free-spending boomtown years. Houstonians remember it for its dramatic architecture, polished service and a crowd that captured the ambition, swagger and affluence of Houston during the height of the oil boom. 

The club became well known enough to earn a brief appearance in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, forever linking it to one of the city's defining pop-culture moments. After Elan closed, the building found new life as the Ocean Club and later as the Courtyard on St. James before eventually being demolished and replaced with a modern office building.

Today, Elan survives mostly through photographs, memorabilia and the memories of those who experienced one of the city's most iconic nights out. Which, of course, included this fine matchbook. 

Understated. Cream stock. Elegant script logo. No clutter. No gimmicks. It feels exactly like something that would've been handed across a polished bar by somebody wearing a white dinner jacket—and probably lots of gold chains. This survivor remains in good overall condition and retains its clean, sophisticated appearance. Does show the wear and tear you’d expect of something that likely was shoved down the backseat of a Mercedes 300SD diesel for several decades until someone’s grandchild had the car detailed before taking it to UT Austin. 

Details

• Original Élan matchbook

• Approximate era: 1980s

• Good overall condition

• Elegant script logo design

• Cream-colored cover

• Approximately 1.5" wide × 2" tall × 0.25" deep

• Shoulder pads not included 

You can’t bring back the heady days of the Houston oil boom, when the sky was the limit. But you can own a slice of premier H-Town nightlife with this fun bit of original memorabilia.