Oscar Wilde In America

The Definitive Resource Of Oscar Wilde's Visits To America

The New Jersey Shore

—Verifications and Accommodation—

Unlike most tour stops which have their own pages, the New Jersey shore lectures (like his tour of the Catskills) are listed here as a group.

This is not merely because they are geographically connected, but also because Wilde, as he traveled around the resorts and points of interest, was often in various places on the same day. Further, it is difficult to be definitive about Wilde’s whereabouts during the Summer months when his movements were less well recorded, and sometimes inaccurately. Typically, however, he resided at the hotels in which he lectured.

Planned Tour Dates?

The above itinerary of Wilde lectures along the Jersey Shore was published on August 20th, 1882 and carries the imprimatur of Wilde’s tour sponsor Richard D’Oyly Carte. So in both authority and proximity to events one would expect the itinerary to be accurate. However, Wilde’s plans were changeable during the more relaxed summer months and there is no evidence that the lectures in Spring Lake and Ocean Beach (Belmar) took place—and there may have been a lecture in Atlantic City. See details below.

Verification of date.

The Times (Philadelphia, PA), Aug 22, 1882, 4

Sea Bright [verified]

Octagon Hotel

Monday, August 21, 1882

Newspaper report

Red Bank Register, August 30, 1882

“Oscar Wilde recently lectured at Sea-bright, and according to the Sentinel, he was very dreary and uninteresting putting many of his audience to sleep.”

Long Branch [verified]

West End Hotel

Tuesday, August 22, 1882

Newspaper reports

The New York Herald, August 23, 1882, 10

The Boston Globe, August 23, 1882, 1

Wilde lectured in the evening to 400 people, mostly ladies in the dining hall of the hotel while music played in the nearby parlors.

Wilde may not have stayed at the hotel as he was guest of Alexander Henderson of the Standard Theatre, New York, where Patience , the opera ridiculing Wilde and his type, was playing.

Wood County Reporter (Grand Rapids, WI), Sep 7, 1882, 4

The Times (Philadelphia, PA), Aug 24, 1882

CANCELLATIONS

The next three advertised lectures at Spring Lake, Asbury Park, and Ocean Beach were closely located on consecutive days. It may have been thought that three separate lectures could not be supported, as evidence of only one of them, in Asbury Park, has been found.

Spring Lake

Monmouth House

Wednesday, August 23, 1882

No evidence has been found that the lecture in Spring Lake took place. This is supported by reports that Wilde, “who was to lecture” failed to appear as announced, and his absence led some local boys to hang (by the arm-pits) an effigy of Oscar from a flagpole, complete with corset, sunflower, knee-breeches and Japanese parasol.

There is a possibility that Wilde lectured on this day in Englewood Cliffs (see below).

Ocean Beach (Belmar)

Columbia House

Friday, August 25, 1882

There is no evidence that this lecture took place.

There is an indication that Wilde may have lectured in Atlantic City on this day (see below).

Bogus Agent

Compounding the doubts about Wilde’s itinerary during this week at the Jersey Shore were reports of a bogus agent promoting Wilde lectures.

One such was at Port Jervis, NY. See clippings opposite.

The Evening Gazette (Port Jervis, NY), Aug 25, 1882

Tri-States Union, (Port Jervis, NY), Sep 1, 1882, 6

The Philadelphia Times, Aug 27, 1882, 4

Transcribed:

“Oscar Wilde will lecture at the Palisade [sic] Mountain house, tomorrow evening. Those who are anxious to see this character an opportunity is hereby offered."

Image credit (with thanks):

Francesca Costa, Public Historian, Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey.

Englewood Cliffs?*

Palisades Mountain House

Wednesday, August 23, 1882

Indication only (opposite)

Bergen Index, August 22, 1882

Several factors indicate that Wilde may have lectured at Englewood Cliffs on this day to make up for the lectures canceled at Spring Lake and Ocean Beach:

Ellmann notes a lecture at Palisades Mountain House (although has the location wrong);
there were two advance local press notices including one on the eve of the lecture itself, suggesting the appearance had been confirmed;
and there was evidently no subsequent press correction nor notice of Wilde’s non-appearance.

However, given that no report of the lecture has been found, Englewood may have been a victim of the bogus agent noted above. Verification of the lecture is still being sought.

* On the Hudson River at Englewood, NJ, requiring a day trip between lectures at the shore.

Asbury Park [verified]

Coleman House

Thursday, August 24, 1882

Newspaper article

Camden Daily Courier, September 2, 1882, 1

Atlantic City?

Unknown

Friday, August 25, 1882, or matinee on

Saturday, August 26, 1882

Wilde’s movements between August 23-25 remain sketchy so care must be taken when citing lectures on these days.

Indication only (opposite)

The Democratic Advocate, August 26, 1882, 2

Reminiscence (opposite)

Wilde’s tour manager, Colonel W. M. Morse recalls accompanying Wilde on a lecture in Atlantic City.

The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: Together with Essays and Stories by Lady Wilde, Volume 15: Oscar Wilde, his life, with a critical estimate of his writers, ch. IV American Lectures. (Aldine, 1910)