Wilde Trials News Archive
World news coverage of Oscar Wilde’s three trials and first months in
prison
April 3, 1895 — December 31, 1895
April 3, 1895 — December 31, 1895
Oscar Wilde Arrested!
The Wilde Trials International News Archive gathers international news reports covering the three trials of the Irish writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). Wilde’s trials were a global media event in the spring of 1895, triggering important debates about gender and sexuality, as well as art, justice, and press standards. You can now read, search, and compare news reports from around the world to learn how journalists reported the news and shaped opinion about the writer's trials and punishment. Read more.
News & Reports
Discover news reports on the Wilde trials from around the world
and in several different languages.
The Love that Dare not Speak its Name
At the close of Wilde’s first trial for “gross indecency,” the
prosecution asked him to explain “the love that dare not speak its name.” Read his famous reply,
as reported in the New York Herald on May 1, 1895.
Wilde on the Treadmill
Read reportage from the leading French newspaper, Le Temps, detailing what hard
labour and the dreaded treadmill might entail for Wilde, who on May 25, 1895 was sentenced
to two years of incarceration in the English local prison system.
Wilde Gallery
In the spring of 1895, newspapers worldwide illustrated key figures and
scenes from Oscar Wilde’s three criminal trials. View rarely seen
depictions of Wilde as well as iconic ones based on well-known photographs from the
period.
News Networks
Discover how news reports on the Wilde trials circulated through
different news networks around the world. Read more.
Wilde Data
Access and download data files on the Wilde trials news reports.
Future Work
New newspapers continue to be added to the archive as well as updated features. The archive is related to a larger book project on Wilde News Abroad.