Image:Somdomite.jpg

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Somdomite.jpg‎ (300 × 147 pixel, file size: 8 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

[edit] Summary

Recovered from http://www.revistaaxolotl.com.ar/sent03.html.

The image is a reproduction of the Marquis of Queensberry's visiting card that he left for Wilde at the Albermarle Club, London, in 1895, and which precipitated Wilde's law suit against him for criminal libel.

The words are probably intended to read For Oscar Wilde posing as a Sodomite. However, Queensberry, either in rage or ignorance, misspelled Sodomite as Somdomite, and may have omitted the words as and a.

The letter A in the bottom left corner was added at the time of the trial to indicate that it was exhibit A.

Here is the evidence of the club porter, Sidney Wright, from the trial:

"On 18th February the Marquess of Queensberry handed me the card which has been produced. Before handing me the card Lord Queensberry wrote some words on it. Lord Queensberry said he wished me to give that to Mr. Wilde. I looked at the card but did not understand it. I made an entry on the back of it of the date and the time at which it was handed to me. I put it in an envelope which I addressed 'Mr. Oscar Wilde'. When Mr. Oscar Wilde came to the club, on 28th February, I handed it to him, saying that Lord Queensberry had wished me to give it to Mr. Wilde."

The envelope was exhibit B at the trial.

Interestingly, Queensberry used the word "posing" rather than a direct accusation. This, coupled with the dubious harm upon Wilde's reputation, make the motive for Wilde's law suit questionable.

[edit] Licensing

The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. This photograph of the work is also in the public domain in the United States (see Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp.).

File history

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(del) (cur) 21:55, 6 April 2006 . . Xtreambar (Talk | contribs) . . 300×147 (7,848 bytes) (Recovered from http://www.revistaaxolotl.com.ar/sent03.html. The image is of a famous business card with the phrase Somdomite written on it. Such was the origin of that term, a mispelling of "Sodomite". The card was written in 1895, thereby mak)