Edinburgh Critical Studies in Victorian Literature: 1895 - Drama, Disaster and Disgrace in Late Victorian Britain

## Explores the lasting cultural and political impact of this remarkable year Oscar Wilde's disastrous libel suit against the Marquess of Queensberry dominated British newspapers during the spring of 1895. Now, Nicholas Freeman shows that the Wilde scandal was just one of many events to capture the public's imagination that year. Had Jack the Ripper returned? Did the Prime Minister have a dreadful secret? Were Aubrey Beardsley's drawings corrupting the nation? Were overpaid foreign players ruining English football? Could cricket save a nation from moral ruin? Freak weather, flu, a General Election, industrial unrest, New Women, fraud, accidents, anarchists, balloons and bicycles all stirred up interest and alarm. __1895__ shows how this turbulent year is at the same time far removed from our own day and strangely familiar. ## Key Features * Interweaves literature, politics and historical biography with topics such as crime, the weather, sport, visual art and journalism to give an overarching view of everyday life in 1895 * Draws on strikingly diverse primary sources, from the __Aberdeen Weekly Journal__ to the __Women's Signal Budget__, and from the __Illustrated Police News__ to __The Yellow Book__ * Eclectically illustrated with stills from plays and reproductions of newspaper front pages to bring Victorian culture to life Explores the lasting cultural and political impact of this remarkable year

Oscar Wilde's disastrous libel suit against the Marquess of Queensberry dominated British newspapers during the spring of 1895. Now, Nicholas Freeman shows that the Wilde scandal was just one of many events to capture the public's imagination that year.

Had Jack the Ripper returned? Did the Prime Minister have a dreadful secret? Were Aubrey Beardsley's drawings corrupting the nation? Were overpaid foreign players ruining English football? Could cricket save a nation from moral ruin?

Freak weather, flu, a General Election, industrial unrest, New Women, fraud, accidents, anarchists, balloons and bicycles all stirred up interest and alarm.

1895shows how this turbulent year is at the same time far removed from our own day and strangely familiar. Key Features

• Interweaves literature, politics and historical biography with topics such as crime, the weather, sport, visual art and journalism to give an overarching view of everyday life in 1895
• Draws on strikingly diverse primary sources, from theAberdeen Weekly Journalto theWomen's Signal Budget, and from theIllustrated Police NewstoThe Yellow Book
• Eclectically illustrated with stills from plays and reproductions of newspaper front pages to bring Victorian culture to life Explores the lasting cultural and political impact of the events of this remarkable year Oscar Wilde's libel suit against the Marquess of Queensberry and its disastrous repercussions dominated British newspapers during the spring of 1895, but as this innovative study reveals, the Wilde scandal was by no means the only event to capture the public's imagination that year. Freak weather, a flu epidemic, a General Election, industrial unrest, 'sex novels' and New Women, trials of murderers and fraudsters, accidents, anarchists, bombers, balloonists and bicyclists were all topics of interest and alarm. Had Jack the Ripper returned? Did the Prime Minister have a dreadful secret? Were Aubrey Beardsley's drawings corrupting the nation's morals? Were overpaid foreign players corrupting English football? Could cricket save a degenerate nation from moral ruin?Drawing on strikingly diverse primary sources, Nicholas Freeman examines the recurrent preoccupations of a turbulent year, showing how 1890s' Britain is at once far removed from our own day and yet strangely familiar. 'Kill the bugger!' So read one telegram to the Marquess of Queensberry before his legal battle with Oscar Wilde in the spring of 1895. Today's readers often see the Wilde case as dramatising the intolerance and cruelty of late-Victorian life, but what was its contemporary significance? What was it like to live in Britain in 1895? Which stories, personalities and events really captured the headlines? '1895' Interweaves Literature, Politics And Historical Biography With Topics Such As Crime, The Weather, Sport, Visual Art And Journalism To Give An Overarching View Of Everyday Life In 1895. Nicholas Freeman. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [215]-227) And Index.