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To celebrate the fifth Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans (LGBT) History Month, we're highlighting some historical documents about Oscar Wilde, held at The National Archives and elsewhere.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish playwright, poet and author who lived in late-Victorian London. His plays, such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere's Fan, were hugely successful. He was also one of the greatest celebrities of his day, known for his biting wit.

The Moving Here website includes a portrait of Wilde from an 1884 issue of Vanity Fair magazine.

Card left by John Sholto Douglas

In 1895, John Sholto Douglas, the Marquis of Queensberry, left an insulting calling card for Oscar Wilde at the Albemarle Club in London. Wilde decided to sue the marquis for libel - setting off a chain of events that ended in his own trial and imprisonment.

Trial and prison records

The National Archives holds documents relating to the trials from the Home Office, Prison Commission, Central Criminal Court and other bodies. Visit our wiki, Your Archives, for a full list. You can also find a list of records relating to Lord Alfred Douglas.

Wilde's letter to the Daily Chronicle

After his release from jail, Oscar Wilde wrote a moving letter to the Daily Chronicle, highlighting the plight of child prisoners. Listen to an actor reading the letter or see a transcript in our Learning Curve resource, Prisoner 4099.

Letters from members of the public

With Wilde's eloquent defence, plus evidence from a series of young male witnesses for the prosecution, the trials caused a huge stir at the time. Search DocumentsOnline for 'Oscar Wilde' to find and download letters from the public about his arrest and sentencing.