Executive or Decorative

Oscar Wilde’s Bloomington lecture

Local councillors in Bloomington, IL had a committee meeting arranged for the evening of March 10, 1882. The order of business was the town drainage: no doubt an event that would have passed without too much strain had Oscar Wilde not been announced to lecture on the same evening.

Inevitably the question arose for councillors with twin duties: which was the lesser of two evils? The tedium of Oscar’s lecture on art decoration, or, maintaining a quorum currently contemplating the size of local sewage lines.

Admittedly, it was a tough choice.

the aesthetic movement

What made matters worse was that Oscar was scheduled to begin his lecture at a point when the aldermen would be in full flow. So how did things pan out?

For a resolution to activities we must consult the local organ, The Pantagraph.

From press reports we learn that there was a minor brain drain in favor of the aesthetic. “One or two left to hear Oscar Wilde”, we are told. Those who had to go, I suppose, had to go.

As for those who remained closeted, I can do no better than quote verbatim The Pantagraph’s statement on the end to official business when they concluded:

“Mr Evans finally moved that the matter be laid on the table. It was lost and the original motion passed.”

© John Cooper, 2015.

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• Pictured at top is Durley Hall, identified here for the first time as the venue for Wilde’s lecture in Bloomington, IL.
• Clippings from The Pantagraph (Bloomington), March 11, 1882, pp. 3 and 4.