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E-book
Author Kaplan, Morris B

Title Sodom on the Thames : sex, love, and scandal in Wilde times / Morris B. Kaplan
Published Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 2005

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Description 1 online resource (314 pages) : illustrations
Contents Contents -- Eros in the Archives: An Introduction -- Prologue: A Walk on the Wild Side -- Part One: Sex in the City -- Part Two: Love Stories -- Part Three: West End Scandals -- Part Four: Wilde�s Time -- Epilogue: “Sex-mania� -- Telling Tales: Some Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Suggestions for Further Reading -- Index
Summary "Sodom on the Thames looks closely at three episodes involving sex between men in late-nineteenth-century England. Morris B. Kaplan draws on extensive research of court records, contemporary newspaper accounts, personal correspondence and diaries, even a pornographic novel. He focuses on two notorious scandals and one quieter incident. In 1871, the transvestites "Stella" (Ernest Boulton) and "Fanny" (Frederick Park), who had paraded around London's West End followed by enthusiastic admirers, were tried for conspiracy to commit sodomy. In 1889-1890, the "Cleveland Street affair" revealed that telegraph delivery boys had been moonlighting as prostitutes for prominent gentlemen, one of whom fled abroad. In 1871, the Eton schoolmaster William Johnson resigned in disgrace, generating shockwaves among the young men in his circle whose romantic attachments lasted throughout their lives. Kaplan shows how profoundly these scandals influenced the trials of Oscar Wilde in 1895 and contributed to growing anxiety about male friendships." "Sodom on the Thames reconstructs these incidents and gives a voice to the diverse people involved. It deepens our understanding of late Victorian attitudes toward urban culture, masculinity, and male homoeroticism. Kaplan also explores the implications of such historical narratives for the contemporary politics of sexuality."--BOOK JACKET
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 299-303) and index
Subject Symonds, John Addington, 1840-1893 -- Sexual behavior
Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900 -- Trials, litigation, etc
Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900 -- Trials, litigation, etc
Symonds, John Addington, 1840-1893 -- Sexual behavior
Symonds, John Addington, 1840-1893
Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900
English literature -- England -- London -- History and criticism
Homosexuality and literature -- England -- History -- 19th century
Male homosexuality -- England -- London -- History -- 19th century
Sex customs -- England -- London -- History -- 19th century
English literature -- 19th century -- History and criticism
Scandals -- England -- London -- History -- 19th century
Sexual orientation in literature.
Sex customs in literature.
SOCIAL SCIENCE.
Gay Studies.
HISTORY -- Europe -- Great Britain.
LITERARY CRITICISM -- European -- English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh.
English literature
Homosexuality and literature
Literature
Male homosexuality
Manners and customs
Scandals
Sex
Sex customs
Sex customs in literature
Sexual orientation in literature
London (England) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century.
London (England) -- In literature
England
England -- London
Genre/Form Criticism, interpretation, etc.
History
Trials, litigation, etc.
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2005008833
ISBN 9780801465826
0801465826
0801477921
9780801477928
0801436788
9780801436789