What brand RAZOR did Oscar Wilde shave with?!

[Beto Salatini]

You were extremely accurate, my dear friend. In fact, Jorge Luis Borges also lived there.

Oscar Wilde lived his last days there in the small Hotel d'Alsace (as it was called at the time) located on Rue des Beaux Arts, fighting the wallpaper and penniless, thanks to the courtesy of the kind owner of the hotel (who later was reimbursed by the French government). His tomb is now one of the most visited in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

I stayed there for five days in June 2011. Here are some photos I took (including the room with the new wallpaper and one of the five martinis I had at the hotel bar during my stay).

Cheers!

 

[phdezra]

My

For what it's worth, after reading this interesting thread, I did a search with my laptop's Windows AI program with the query "How did Oscar Wilde shave?" And this is what the reply was:

I found a forum post on Badger & Blade that suggests Oscar Wilde might have used a Wilkinson straight razor to shave 1. According to the same post, self-shaving was becoming more popular in Wilde’s time, but barbers were still doing a lot of shaving 1. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any more information on how he shaved.

Is there anything else I can help you wit

You were extremely accurate, my dear friend. In fact, Jorge Luis Borges also lived there.

Oscar Wilde lived his last days there in the small Hotel d'Alsace (as it was called at the time) located on Rue des Beaux Arts (fighting the wallpaper), penniless, thanks to the courtesy of the kind owner of the hotel (who later was reimbursed by the French government). His tomb is now one of the most visited in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

I stayed there for five days in June 2011. Here are some photos I took (including the room with the new wallpaper and one of the five martinis I had at the hotel bar during my stay).

Cheers!

Fascinating! Thank you for sharing your personal photos--fantastic!!!

Note that Hotel d'Alsace WAS what is now L'Hotel, and is the same hotel Wilde stayed it. (Not sure if you were saying he stayed at a different physical hotel?) The hotel changed names several times; changed to Hotel d'Alsace after the War of 1870 (really, Franco-Prussian War, but in France they call it War of 1870 ). It is still located at 13 rue des Beaux-Arts. Same place, different names (had a few other names as well, BTW.)

I would imagine the hotel might have had some kind of in-house barber/salon for men (who were more dandy back then), and perhaps for women? Certainly today you can book private time in the "subterranean pool, steam room, and treatment suite, with no interruptions." at Hammam private pool | L’Hotel Paris - https://www.l-hotel.com/are-you-curious/hammam-private-pool/

HOWEVER, back to Wilde, I imagine, even penniless, when he did have a chance to go out (and look respectable with a clean shave!), he went to "literary salons" back in those days where writers, artists, and politicians gathered in private living rooms (salons)... removed from the strict protocols of the French court. . Of course, THOSE types of salons (see portrait) were not for manicures, pedicures or the like. They were high-brow (sorta). From one website, note also:

"Women were not allowed formal education during this time, so the salons also provided an acceptable way to educate oneself. Woe-betide you if you got on the wrong side of the salon host; you would not be invited back. And you couldn’t just walk up to a salon evening at someone’s home and attend as a guest, absolutely not. You needed a letter of introduction. That’s not so different from now of course, if you were having a dinner party that looked all twinkly and inviting from the sidewalk, you wouldn’t just let anyone in off the street to attend. Obviously not!"​

 

[Lockback]

You were extremely accurate, my dear friend. In fact, Jorge Luis Borges also lived there.

Oscar Wilde lived his last days there in the small Hotel d'Alsace (as it was called at the time) located on Rue des Beaux Arts, fighting the wallpaper and penniless, thanks to the courtesy of the kind owner of the hotel (who later was reimbursed by the French government). His tomb is now one of the most visited in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

I stayed there for five days in June 2011. Here are some photos I took (including the room with the new wallpaper and one of the five martinis I had at the hotel bar during my stay).

Cheers!



View attachment 1779537View attachment 1779538View attachment 1779539View attachment 1779540View attachment 1779541View attachment 1779542View attachment 1779543

Amazing report!
And five martinis! I am impressed, my friend. It would be an honor to share a night of martinis.

 

[Beto Salatini]

Amazing report!
And five martinis! I am impressed, my friend. It would be an honor to share a night of martinis.

Thank you very much for your kind words, dear friend.
It would be a privilege and a great pleasure to share a night of Martinis with you. It's worth remembering that it took me five days to drink the five Martinis. One a day… (I even remember the name of the gin, G’Vine, a French gin made with grape alcohol).

Cheers!

 

[Lockback]

Thank you very much for your kind words, dear friend.
It would be a privilege and a great pleasure to share a night of Martinis with you. It's worth remembering that it took me five days to drink the five Martinis. One a day… (I even remember the name of the gin, G’Vine, a French gin made with grape alcohol).

Cheers!

Five martinis in five days is still impressive.
And your kindness radiates here on this forum. It is always a pleasure to read what you have to say.
Dan

 

[Beto Salatini]

My




Fascinating! Thank you for sharing your personal photos--fantastic!!!

Note that Hotel d'Alsace WAS what is now L'Hotel, and is the same hotel Wilde stayed it. (Not sure if you were saying he stayed at a different physical hotel?) The hotel changed names several times; changed to Hotel d'Alsace after the War of 1870 (really, Franco-Prussian War, but in France they call it War of 1870 ). It is still located at 13 rue des Beaux-Arts. Same place, different names (had a few other names as well, BTW.)

I would imagine the hotel might have had some kind of in-house barber/salon for men (who were more dandy back then), and perhaps for women? Certainly today you can book private time in the "subterranean pool, steam room, and treatment suite, with no interruptions." at Hammam private pool | L’Hotel Paris - https://www.l-hotel.com/are-you-curious/hammam-private-pool/

HOWEVER, back to Wilde, I imagine, even penniless, when he did have a chance to go out (and look respectable with a clean shave!), he went to "literary salons" back in those days where writers, artists, and politicians gathered in private living rooms (salons)... removed from the strict protocols of the French court. . Of course, THOSE types of salons (see portrait) were not for manicures, pedicures or the like. They were high-brow (sorta). From one website, note also:

"Women were not allowed formal education during this time, so the salons also provided an acceptable way to educate oneself. Woe-betide you if you got on the wrong side of the salon host; you would not be invited back. And you couldn’t just walk up to a salon evening at someone’s home and attend as a guest, absolutely not. You needed a letter of introduction. That’s not so different from now of course, if you were having a dinner party that looked all twinkly and inviting from the sidewalk, you wouldn’t just let anyone in off the street to attend. Obviously not!"​

View attachment 1779550

You are completely right, my friend. Hotel d’Alsace was one of the names given to the now L’Hotel, located at Rue des Beaux Arts, 13.

I'm sorry for writing this confusingly in my previous post. Congratulations on your accurate and precious information.

 

[Beto Salatini]

Five martinis in five days is still impressive.
And your kindness radiates here on this forum. It is always a pleasure to read what you have to say.
Dan

Thank you very much, dear Dan!
You are a true gentleman.

Have a great Sunday!

Cheers!

 

[Lockback]

Thank you very much, dear Dan!
You are a true gentleman.

Have a great Sunday!

Cheers!

And you too, my friend!

 

[phdezra]

You are completely right, my friend. Hotel d’Alsace was one of the names given to the now L’Hotel, located at Rue des Beaux Arts, 13.

I'm sorry for writing this confusingly in my previous post. Congratulations on your accurate and precious information.

If this were a literary salon moment, and I didn't know better, I'd detect a bit of sarcasm. As the legend Wilde said himself: "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence.”

 

[phdezra]

Amazing report!
And five martinis! I am impressed, my friend. It would be an honor to share a night of martinis.

Five martinis!!!!!! Hmm, I think Wilde was one of those geniuine Absinthe (not today's stuff) drinker. As he purportedly said, "After the first glass of absinthe, you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see them as they are not. Finally, you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world."

ABSINTHE: The history section is fascinating on this one: Absinthe - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe Wilde is even mentioned in the Wiki entry a couple times =, including one of " an inebriated Oscar Wilde described a phantom sensation of having tulips brush against his legs after leaving a bar at closing time."

I doubt he shaved in such a state though.

 

[phdezra]

Keeping the Wilde thread alive , I found two books that seem interesting enough to order (esp when the first one is avail as Used for $1.50(!)):

1) Wilde in America: Oscar Wilde and the Invention of Modern Celebrity, https://a.co/d/i3Vs3mg. (The author explains in detail Oscar Wilde’s landmark 1882 American tour (at the ripe age of 26(!)) and his eminence became famous for being famous. )

2) The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde, avail Used from $2.51 upwards. Even the cover photo on this one is a far younger (and lesser known one of Wilde): Amazon.com - https://a.co/d/9bgnR1x

(I have ordered and am eager to read the second book! Will be on the lookout for any mention of shaving! )

Cheers

​

 

[Ankerwycke]

Here are a few more razors that would have been available to Wilde. If on the other hand he had chosen to be pampered there was a Cigar Divan within easy walking distance of his home in Chelsea that offered tobacco and shaving. Some of the London Cigar Divan’s were regarded by a few as dens of iniquity and a bad influence on the young men of the time.

 

[FullyLoaded]

This is a wonderful thread.

I’m a big fan of Oscar Wilde, although I’ve only read The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Thanks for sharing those books, @phdezra. Here’s a recent biography on Wilde that’s on my reading list. I’ve read that it goes into great detail. Perhaps there’s some information about his shaving. I’d love to know whether he face lathered or bowl lathered

Here are a couple reviews on the book. Interestingly, the title was changed for the American market to include his last name.

Oscar: A Life by Matthew Sturgis review – Wilde’s status is higher than ever

This is a fuller and in some ways more reliable biography than Richard Ellman’s. The final stages of the story remain as gripping as they are grim

www.theguardian.com

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/13/books/review/oscar-wilde-matthew-sturgis.html

The Guardian review mentions that when he when he was in Paris at the end of his life, he was “supported by Robert Ross, who had been his first male lover, and who emerges as the only hero of the story.”

That explains how he had such luxurious digs.


Also, to anyone visiting NYC, check out Oscar Wilde, a bar dedicated to him, featuring exquisite Victorian decor, a fun food/drink menu (including a menu of gin & tonics named after famous Irish artists), and the longest bar top in the state of New York. It’s also known for its stunning holiday decorations. Just be aware that it gets pretty packed, especially on weekend nights and around holidays.

 

[BigJ]

This is a wonderful thread.

I’m a big fan of Oscar Wilde, although I’ve only read The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Thanks for sharing those books, @phdezra. Here’s a recent biography on Wilde that’s on my reading list. I’ve read that it goes into great detail. Perhaps there’s some information about his shaving. I’d love to know whether he face lathered or bowl lathered

Here are a couple reviews on the book. Interestingly, the title was changed for the American market to include his last name.

Oscar: A Life by Matthew Sturgis review – Wilde’s status is higher than ever

This is a fuller and in some ways more reliable biography than Richard Ellman’s. The final stages of the story remain as gripping as they are grim

www.theguardian.com

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/13/books/review/oscar-wilde-matthew-sturgis.html

The Guardian review mentions that when he when he was in Paris at the end of his life, he was “supported by Robert Ross, who had been his first male lover, and who emerges as the only hero of the story.”

That explains how he had such luxurious digs.


Also, to anyone visiting NYC, check out Oscar Wilde, a bar dedicated to him, featuring exquisite Victorian decor, a fun food/drink menu (including a menu of gin & tonics named after famous Irish artists), and the longest bar top in the state of New York. It’s also known for its stunning holiday decorations. Just be aware that it gets pretty packed, especially on weekend nights and around holidays.

Great suggestions!! Now, we can add Pasteur’s Pharmacy to the Oscar Wilde bar for a B&B ’field trip!’

 

[phdezra]

Great suggestions!! Now, we can add Pasteur’s Pharmacy to the Oscar Wilde bar for a B&B ’field trip!’

Great idea! B&B field trip to Paris! Wait, what, Pasteur's Pharmacy? Is there an original one in France that I missed? Louis Pasteur and Wilde theoretically overlapped in life (I believe Pasteur died in 1895 or so, and we know Wilde died in 1900). BUT Wilde was in England's penitentiary system in 1895 (just after his career climaxed!) until 1897, and then he made his way to Paris where he died in 1900. So dunno if they overlapped end of life other than EARLIER as Wilde traveled a decent amount (England, France, America (1882) and a couple other spots we may or may not know about).

Amazing he found time to have two children, and descendants of which Merlin Holland (still alive) in France is his grandchild though Merlin is likely not collecting resdiual money from his gramps' works because the author (Wilde) is now 100+ years old, so the work should be in "public domain."

I believe Merlin has a son who studied classics (runs in the family!) at Oxford (like Oscar himself!) and I read that he roomed in the SAME exact rooms that his great-grandfather Oscar lived in. TOo bad this great-grandson is a computer programmer (in London, not France like his dad, Merlin--by the way, is anyone in the US named Merlin, as a serious name!?). Maybe his great-grandson will turn to literature. Though the "Wilde" name is lost unless he changes it, which I would readily do if my great-grandfather was so well-known!

Indeed, Merlin actually contemplated changing the family name to Wilde! But for a few reasons, it seems to have never happened.

Cheers

 

[BigJ]

Great idea! B&B field trip to Paris! Wait, what, Pasteur's Pharmacy? Is there an original one in France that I missed? Louis Pasteur and Wilde theoretically overlapped in life (I believe Pasteur died in 1895 or so, and we know Wilde died in 1900). BUT Wilde was in England's penitentiary system in 1895 (just after his career climaxed!) until 1897, and then he made his way to Paris where he died in 1900. So dunno if they overlapped end of life other than EARLIER as Wilde traveled a decent amount (England, France, America (1882) and a couple other spots we may or may not know about).

I was thinking NYC with Pasteur’s Pharmacy (one of my favorites) and the Oscar Wilde bar.

But Paris sounds even better!!

 

[phdezra]

I was thinking NYC with Pasteur’s Pharmacy (one of my favorites) and the Oscar Wilde bar.

But Paris sounds even better!!

Pasteur's Pharmacy has a couple locations in NYC (where I live); I guess same w you? I believe they are online, too.

 

[phdezra]

OMG! Wilde and his razor TBD? I just came across this website: The History Behind The Brand - https://wildeandharte.co.uk/pages/our-story and they state regarding their own history "

"The Beginning​

2011​

​

Over drinks at The Wolseley, in London, two friends discuss the chore of shaving with disposable multi-blade razors. A vision is born. Make shaving once more, a luxurious self-indulgent treat.​

​

A brand is conceived. Derived from two drinking establishments in London's bustling West End — The Oscar Wilde bar at the Café Royal, Mayfair and The White Hartein Drury Lane. "​

 

[FullyLoaded]

I was thinking NYC with Pasteur’s Pharmacy (one of my favorites) and the Oscar Wilde bar.

But Paris sounds even better!!

Add Officine Universelle Buly to the list for Paris. I wanted to go when I was in Paris two summers ago, but I never made it there. I see @phdezra just posted about their shaving cream too.

 

[phdezra]

Add Officine Universelle Buly to the list for Paris. I wanted to go when I was in Paris two summers ago, but I never made it there. I see @phdezra just posted about their shaving cream too.

@FullyLoaded Yes! Buly is located at 6 rue Bonaparte, which is right around the corner I believe from L’Hotel! (Where we’ll all be staying of course).