The Rainbow Minute

Irish writer and poet Oscar Wilde arrived in America aboard the S.S. Arizona on January 3, 1882.  For 10 months he would crisscross the country dressed in a purple Hungarian smoking jacket, velvet breeches, black silk stockings and brightly-bucked shoes, giving lectures on topics like “The House Beautiful” and “The Decorative Arts.” It made him a popular target for journalists and cartoonists.

Wilde’s speaking schedule was grueling, with 150 stops in the course of 10 months.  While some crowds were small, others numbered 2,000 in cities like Boston, New York and Chicago.

He stayed with Jefferson Davis in his Gulf of Mexico Mansion.  While calling on Walt Whitman in Camden, New Jersey, Wilde announced, “I come as a poet to call upon a poet.”

Wilde made his way to Richmond, Virginia on July 11, 1882. More about that tomorrow.