British Library Reissues Oscar Wilde’s Library Card – Revoked In 1895 For The “Gross Indecency” Of Being Gay
One of the most influential literary figures of the nineteenth century, the writer was sentenced to two years of prison and hard labor for his relationships with men.
Featured Images: Courtesy of The British Library Board and The Trustees of the British Museum
On June 15, 1895, Oscar Wilde was officially banned from the British Museum’s Reading Room, now the British Library, over the criminal offense of having had gay relationships. Now, 130 years later, The British Library is honoring the esteemed Irish novelist, poet and playwright, by reissuing a library card in his name, with an expiration date of November, 30, 1900, the date of Wilde’s death.
According to The British Library, the decision to revoke Wilde’s Reader Pass was made after his trial and conviction, as a result of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885, which criminalized acts of “gross indecency” between men. Following the trial, Wilde was sentenced to two years of hard labor. He was released from prison in 1897.
Due to the impact this treatment had on him, Wilde eventually moved to France where he remained until his death at the age of 46.
Image: Trustees Papers from May 1889 to April 1896, British Museum Archive © The Trustees of the British Museum
One of the greatest playwrights of the Victorian age, his works include the play, The Importance of Being Earnest, and the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The British Library holds a collection of his works, including the handwritten love letter he penned to Lord Alfred Douglas while in prison, titled De Profundis:
“… Suffering is one very long moment. We cannot divide it by seasons. We can only record its moods, and chronicle their return… “
Image: Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, May 1893 (British Library, Public Domain)
A physical reading pass was given to Wilde’s grandson and biographer, Merlin Holland, on Wilde’s behalf last week. In anticipation, Holland shared with the Library:
“Oscar had been in Pentonville prison for three weeks when his ticket to the British Museum Reading Room was cancelled, so he wouldn’t have known about it, which was probably as well. I think it would have just added to his misery to feel that one of the world’s great libraries had banned him from books just as the Law had banned him from daily life. But the restitution of his ticket is a lovely gesture of forgiveness and I’m sure his spirit will be touched and delighted.”
“Through this tribute we hope to not only honor Wilde’s memory but also acknowledge the injustices and immense suffering he faced as a result of his conviction,” Dame Carol Black, Chair of the British Library Board, said in an issued statement.
Image: Oscar Wilde, Photo by Napoleon Sarony (U.S. Copyright Office, Public Domain)
