LGBTQ+ History
A Statue for Oscar Wilde by William Pye, 2010
Museum objects can tell many different stories about the people and places they come from. Historically however, some of these stories have not been told, either due to lack of awareness or deliberate erasure. Museums can, and should, provide a crucial role in sharing stories from underrepresented communities and empowering people through their collections.
With the help of our incredible Untold History volunteers, we have identified just a few objects from Reading Museum’s collections that have LGBTQ+ connections and stories to tell. LGBTQ+ is an abbreviated term for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual people, who have always existed and whose vibrant history we are proud to share.
Reading itself has very strong LGBTQ+ links – from the famous playwright Oscar Wilde who was imprisoned in Reading Gaol for 'gross indecency' in 1895, to Sir John Wolfenden, chair of the committee that published the 1957 Wolfenden Report which called for the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in Britian. Even Huntley and Palmers – once the largest biscuit manufacturer in the world and a company that played a key part in Reading’s development – has a somewhat unexpected connection. 'Huntleys’ and ‘Palmers’ were used by the Wolfenden committee as codewords for ‘homosexuals’ and ‘prostitutes’, allegedly to protect the sensibilities of their secretaries.
There are also objects that tell of broader LGBTQ+ history, such as a delftware plate depicting Queen Anne, a painting by Scottish artist Duncan Grant and a bronze steelyard weight discovered in Roman Silchester, depicting the Roman god Dionysus. This is by no means an exhaustive group of objects with LGBTQ+ resonance within our collections – it is simply the start of an ongoing project to continue diversifying narratives within the museum.
With great thanks to the Untold History Volunteers: Charlotte K, Charlotte H, Julie, Katie, Lucy and Magda for all of their hard work on this project which wouldn't have been possible without them.