Tag Archive: Ernest Boulton

Jul 23

Blue Plaque recognition for ‘illegal’ cross-dressing double act ‘Stella and Fanny’

Following on from my earlier post, you can read more about the day I unveiled the plaque at 13 Wakefield Street to commemorate Fanny & Stella.  This article was written by Alice Hutton and appeared in the Camden New Journal recently. A PLAQUE has been unveiled on a Bloomsbury church in honour of a Victorian …

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Jul 16

Plaque unveiled to Fanny & Stella at 13 Wakefield Street

Plaque to Fanny & Stella

On 10th July I unveiled the commemorative plaque to Ernest Boulton and Frederick Park, Fanny and Stella, on the site of 13 Wakefield Street, London, their drag dressing rooms.  The Mayor of Camden and Councillor Jonathan Simpson were there along with many supporters. Gay’s the Word bookshop also sold copies of Fanny & Stella on …

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Jul 08

Fanny and Stella to be honoured with historic plaque on King’s Cross church

A Plaque commemorating the cross-dressers is to be put up on the wall of a United Reformed Church in King’s Cross, London soon.  Tom Foot from the CamdenNewJournal has the story.  I am looking forward to the unveiling. ‘A PLAQUE commemorating a celebrated Victorian cross-dressing double act is to be bolted onto the national headquarters of …

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Mar 18

Reviewed: Fanny & Stella – The Young Men in Women’s Clothes by Juliet Jacques, NewStatesman

Neil McKenna’s book revisits one of Victorian Britain’s most explosive trials.     The Charge of Personating Women Yesterday afternoon the Bow-street Police-court and its approaches were literally besieged by the public, owing to the re-examination of the two young men, Ernest Boulton aged 22 of 43, Shirland-road, Paddington, and Frederick William Park, aged 23, …

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Mar 07

Tales of a Victorian sensation – by Charles Thomson, The Yellow Advertiser

Charles Thomson wrote the following review which appeared in The Yellow Advertiser, Basildon edition.  He has captured the energy and spirit of the book very well. TRANSVESTITE prostitutes will take centre stage at an Essex Book Festival event in two weeks. Author Neil McKenna will appear at Chelmsford Library to discuss his new book, ‘Fanny and …

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Mar 05

Excellent Review for Fanny & Stella in Lambda Literary by Cheryl Morgan

The following review was posted on 03. Mar, 2013 by Cheryl Morgan, Lambda Literary in Bio/Memoir, Reviews. It is a very thoughtful, well-written and fair review. Cheryl has obviously picked up every nuance of the book.   When we think of Victorian England we tend to assume a moral code that was as tightly laced as …

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Feb 14

Another fantastic review for Fanny and Stella – Wildely Ahead of Their Times

Gay City News published a review on February 13th by Doug Ireland. Here are the best bits:     “Boulton and Park have been brought to life again in a riveting new book published last week in London by the venerable publishing house of Faber and Faber. “Fanny and Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked …

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Feb 04

Drag, kissing and screaming – Review in HeraldScotland

Here, author Neil McKenna reveals the story at the centre of his new book, a tragic tale of love, lust and betrayal which scandalised society and led to a court case in which two transvestites and suspected homosexuals had their private lives laid bare Fanny And Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England By …

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Feb 03

Arrested for cross-dressing!

This article by Martha De Lacey appeared on USA-UK Online recently and includes an extract from the book. Meet Fanny and Stella, the Victorian gentlemen who shocked Britain and were prosecuted for the ‘unnatural offence’ of being transvestites Frederick Park, 22, and Ernest Boulton, 21, arrested in 1870 Were leaving Strand Theatre in London on …

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Jan 29

Interview with George Miller about Fanny & Stella on The Faber Podcast

Listen to me talking to George Miller about Fanny & Stella on The Faber Podcast

Jan 25

The He-She Ladies – Fanny & Stella Review by Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian

A world of ‘lush longing for embroidered handkerchiefs and soft kisses’ is interrupted by a police campaign to achieve the downfall of the cross-dressing pair.  In 1870, two tatty-looking girls were hauled before Bow Street magistrates court and charged with “the abominable crime of buggery”. After a night in the cells, with wigs slipping and stubble …

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