The lecture takes place at The First Congregational United Church of Christ, Second Floor, 945 G Street NW, Washington, DC. Reservations are not required. $10.00 for Latrobe Chapter members, student members (full time) free with ID, $15.00 for non-members.

In 1882, Oscar Wilde toured the United States from coast to coast, giving about 200 lectures in more than 100 cities with the titles “The House Beautiful” and “The Decorative Arts.” He appeared in Chicago in February and March 1882 with great acclaim.  At the time, Wilde was still a young man and had not written his famous books and plays—and the notorious scandal was still many years away. His talks in the United State were very, very popular and filled with wit and caustic remarks about the state of American culture. Through these lectures, Wilde helped to introduce the Aesthetic Movement and the work of William Morris and followers to an American audience.

Richard Guy Wilson is the Commonwealth Professor of Architectural History at the University of Virginia. Wilson received his undergraduate training at the University of Colorado and MA and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. He taught at Michigan and Iowa State University before coming to Virginia in 1976. Wilson has received a number of academic honors, among them a Guggenheim fellowship. In 2019, Wilson was selected as a Fellow of the Society of Architectural Historians. In addition to his writing, Wilson is a frequent lecturer (more than 600) at other universities, museums and historical societies.