London and the Culture of Homosexuality, 1885-1914

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Cambridge University Press, 2003 - Literary Criticism - 223 pages
London and the Culture of Homosexuality explores the relationship between London and male homosexuality from the criminalisation of all 'acts of gross indecency' between men in 1885 to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 - years marked by an intensification in concern about male-male relationships and also by the emergence of an embryonic homosexual rights movement. Taking his cue from literary and lesbian and gay scholars, urban historians and cultural geographers, Matt Cook combines discussion of London's homosexual subculture and various major and minor scandals with a detailed examination of representations in the press, in science and in literature. The conjunction of approaches used in this study provides fresh insights into the development of ideas about the modern homosexual and into the many different ways of comprehending and taking part in London's culture of homosexuality.
 

Contents

London and the cities of the plain
7
London 18851914
22
The grossly indecent city
42
Bodies streets and perfumed rooms
55
Lifting the veil on vice
63
The inverted city
73
Metropolitan case studies
83
Erotic anthropology
91
The decadent menace
116
The Hellenic city
122
Reform and the urban scene
133
public spacesprivate lives
143
Appendix
151
Notes
154
Bibliography
195
Index
220

The decadent city
95
Dorian Gray and Telenys decadent outings
103

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About the author (2003)

Matt Cook is Lecturer in Modern British History at Keele University.