Al Fresco & Wild · London, Greater London
The Serpentine Bathing Place
The Serpentine placed outdoor swimming in the ceremonial centre of London, turning public bathing and the visible body into part of everyday metropolitan life.
The story
Hyde Park's Serpentine has a long association with bathing and organised swimming, including the Serpentine Swimming Club. Its relevance here is not that swimming is inherently erotic, but that access to uncovered bodies in public was repeatedly negotiated through rules of class, gender, propriety and safety. Contemporary swimming is confined to designated arrangements, so historic custom is not current access advice.
Sources
Nearby on the map
Oscar Wilde was arrested at the Cadogan Hotel on the evening of 5 April 1895, in a room now generally identified as 118; hotel tradition dates it to 6 April. Betjeman immortalised the scene, and royal mistress Lillie Langtry also lived on the site.
Documented historyHot spotNotable LandmarksFirst Ann Summers ShopLondon, Greater London · EnglandThe Edgware Road sex shop that launched the Ann Summers name in 1970 was aimed chiefly at men. Jacqueline Gold's women-led party-plan model from 1981 transformed it into a mainstream retail empire.
Documented historyQueer HeritageOscar Wilde's house, 34 Tite StreetLondon, Greater London · EnglandWilde's family home during his years of fame and his affair with Bosie — a ten-minute walk from the hotel where it all came crashing down.
Documented historySpotted an error, or hold a better source? Write to marquis@marquisdemayfair.com — corrections are made, never defended. Our methodology.