24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage
Gateway to Over 3,000 UK museums, galleries and heritage attractions
Skip to navigation
Oscar Wilde's Prison Door Goes On Display At Galleries Of Justice
By 24 Hour Museum Staff
26/11/2007
Image: a photograph of a heavy white door with a hatch in its centre
Oscar Wilde's prison cell door. © Galleries of Justice
The Galleries of Justice in Nottingham are commemorating the 110th anniversary of Oscar Wilde being released from Reading Gaol by displaying his prison cell door as part of a new exhibition called Prisoner C.3.3: Oscar Wilde.
It is 110 years since Prisoner C.3.3 was released from Reading Gaol having served two years hard labour for gross indecency and for the first time the prison door that was the barrier between Oscar Wilde and the outside world is being displayed to the public.
“Not only is it 110 years since Wilde was released but also 40 years since homosexuality was decriminalised,” said Tim Desmond, Chief Executive at the Galleries of Justice.
“We thought it was important to mark these events by focusing on the laws against homosexuality and how they affected one of England’s foremost wits and dramatists.”
The catalyst to Wilde’s downfall in the courts was the Marquess of Queensberry sending Wilde a card stating ‘For Oscar Wilde posing Sondomite’ (sic). The card was a reference to Wilde's relationship with the Marquess' son, Lord Alfred Douglas. Oscar sued for criminal libel but lost in the court with the result that the serious charge of being a sodomite was brought against him.
In addition to the symbolic prison door, which is part of the HM Prison Service Collection housed at the Galleries of Justice, the museum is asking celebrities with an interest in Wilde to complete a card with the sentence “Oscar Wilde was…”
So far the museum has had a response from Sir Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart, Joanna Lumley, Sir Paul Smith and Matt Lucas. Oscar Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland and Lord Alfred Douglas’s great nephew, Lord Gawain Douglas are also said to be contributing.
At the end of the exhibition the cards will be auctioned to raise money for the crime prevention activities that the Galleries of Justice promote, which are designed to ‘keep kids away from crime and out of prison’.
The exhibition begins on November 30 and runs until March 2008.
NCCL Galleries of Justice
High Pavement, Lace Market, Nottingham, NG1 1HN, Nottinghamshire, England
Open: Please check the website for current and updated opening times
September-April
Tues-Sun 1000-1700
Last admission 16.00
October-March
Tues-Sun 10.00-16.00
Last admisson 15.00
Closed: Mondays (except Bank Holiday Mondays and Nottinghamshire holidays)
Christmas & New Year
Related Articles
Attorney General Visits Notts Museum Crime Prevention Scheme
Galleries Of Justice Show Guns And Knives From The Streets
News In Brief - Week Ending April 13 2008
Galleries Of Justice Gets £10K From RBS For Citizenship Programme
News In Brief - Week Ending October 28 2007
Robin Hood's Prison? Sheriff's Dungeon Found At Nottingham Gaol
News In Brief - Week Ending June 10 2007
E-news registration
E-mail story to a friend
Tell us what you think
National Portrait Gallery Acquires Tudor Double Portrait
Sheffield Metal Master Wins Museum's Inaugural Design Award
DCMS Launches Consultation Into The Future Of World Heritage Sites
A Selection Of Festive Fairs - Fun Days and Exhibitions
Royal Society Announces Plans For 350th Anniversary
Art Website ArtisanCam Wins Coveted Children's BAFTA
Former Floorboards Of Founding Father Franklin Facilitate Funny Four
Mark Leckey Wins The 2008 Turner Prize And Scoops £25,000
Library Thief Update: Sentencing Adjourned Until January 16, 2009
Fund Aims To Realise Long-Standing Campaign For Cardiff City Museum
Culture Secretary Slaps Export Ban On George I Chandelier
Shakespeare's Globe Costumes Go On Show In Nottingham
Britglyph Art Campaign Uses Web To Make Mass Geoglyph
Inaugural Awards Ceremony Honours UK Arts Philanthropists
Rare Silver Cup Commemorating Coronation Of Charles II Is Saved For The Nation
London Fire Brigade Museum Escapes Closure - For Now
Another Busy Year For Archaeology On Orkney In 2008
Severndroog Castle To Be Restored Thanks To Lottery Grant
Search this site
Home Page
News Page
Exhibition Page
What's On
Trails Page
Website of the Week
Letters Page
Welsh Home
Graphical Version
Copyright © 24 Hour Museum
Information published here was believed to be correct at the time it was prepared. Welsh language pages developed with CYMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.