When it comes to measuring time, sixty is an oddly benign number. It moves the seconds into minutes and the minutes into hours quite stealthily. But when the number is used to mark the passage of years—three score can give one quite a jolt. So when the occasion crept up on me last week, I was in need of rejuvenation.
An outing to the theatre would be the tonic I thought. But with the next Wilde play not until later in the month, I would need to find another balm for my (increasingly) furrowed brow.
What then if not Oscar? Perhaps something pre-Oscar…
A cartoon printed in the satirical magazine The Wasp to mark Oscar Wilde’s arrival in San Francisco
When Wilde arrived in San Francisco he was greeted by thousands of people curious to see him.
The above cartoon, titled “The Modern Messiah,” which appeared in The Wasp on the eve of Oscar Wilde’s third lecture in San Francisco, shows such a crowd, but in satirical style.1
Heavily featured are sunflowers, one of the floral emblems of the aesthetic movement; another, calla lilies, known to decorate Wilde’s table at dinners in America, serve as the donkey’s ears.
Also depicted in the scene are caricatures resonant of Wilde’s visit, some of whom were thought responsible for bringing Wilde to San Francisco, and therefore supportive of him. Here is a rundown of the personalities depicted:
Oscar Wilde
Oscar is shown arriving in messianic style.
Compare the biblical:
“… your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
The modern messiah, however, bears a sunflower emblazoned with a dollar sign which reflects the accusation that his motivations were as pecuniary as they were missionary.
The Donkey
Braying, and with sunflower saddle and lily ears, we are reminded of the epithet “ass-thete” that accompanied Wilde across America, but here the donkey symbolizes his visit to San Francisco: attached to the tail is the $5,000 that Wilde was reportedly paid for his series of lectures in California; around the neck, padlocked to the conveyance, is an image of Wilde’s California promoter Charles E. Locke. The words on the padlock are “Bush St. Theatre”, where Locke was manager. Also, at Bush and Montgomery Streets was Platt’s Hall where Wilde lectured four times.
Man With the Goatee Beard
Charles Crocker (1822—1888) railroad executive who founded the Central Pacific Railroad that took Wilde on his journey to California
On April 19, 1882, Wilde wrote to his “Darling Hattie” in San Francisco expressing his love for her. The likely candidate for Wilde’s affection is Harriet, the daughter of Charles Crocker. {Sturgis 246-7]
Man With White Hair
Skulking somewhat appropriately behind proceedings is Ambrose Bierce (1842—c. 1914), who penned a relentless attack on Wilde in The Wasp, March 31, 1882, the text of which can be found at Wilde’s lecture on April 1.
Man at Far Left With Beard
Isaac Smith Kalloch (1832—1887) 18th Mayor of San Francisco serving from December 1, 1879 to December 4, 1881.
Man With Long White Beard (behind sunflower back left)
Maurice Carey Blake (1815—1897) 19th Mayor of San Francisco, serving from December 5, 1881 to January 7, 1883.
Short Man With Mustache
Daniel O’Connell (1849—1899) poet, actor, writer, journalist, and the grand-nephew of Daniel O’Connell (1775—1847), the famed Irish orator and politician.
O’Connell was co-founder of the Bohemian Club where Wilde was feted and had his portrait painted by Theodore Wores. The painting hung in the club until it was lost in the fire following the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
Man With Broken Sunflower
Possibly impresario Tom Maguire.
Boys in the Foreground
Newspaper sellers, one carrying The Wasp in which the cartoon appeared [1].
Chinese in the Background
While in San Francisco Wilde famously visited Chinatown and expressed his admiration of their decorative arts, such as delicate tea cups.
It shows Oscar in a quite demure pose as if he had something to hide. But fear not, he is exposed only below the knee.
Wilde’s long hair and knee-breeches excited many a soirée in 1882, prompting one commentator to note that Oscar “pants after” a certain celebrity, but that he should make it two because a pair of pants is something he obviously needs.
Advertisers, too, had Wilde’s trousers in mind. This example uses an image of a long-haired Oscar and the slogan Pants Down Again—presumably referring to the price. What advertisers did not realise was that Oscar would soon take the slogan literally.
When he returned to America in 1883, he had abandoned the signature long tresses and knee breeches, thus reversing the trend. Oscar confounded observers by wearing his hair up and his pants down once again.
