Queer Places:
Cannibal Club C/O Bertolini’s, 32 St Martin's Ln, Charing Cross, London WC2N 4ER, UK
J. Frederick Collingwood (1829–1910) was a Victorian-era figure best known for his role as the assistant secretary and librarian of the Anthropological Society of London (ASL).
Collingwood was a key administrator within the Anthropological Society of London during the mid-to-late 19th century, a period when the organization was active in the development of the discipline. His work included:
He served as the assistant secretary and librarian, managing office operations, membership recruitment, and correspondence.
He is noted for his translation of Theodor Waitz's Introduction to Anthropology (1863), a significant text in the early history of the field.
He maintained a professional relationship with prominent figures of the time, including Sir Richard Francis Burton, with whom he corresponded regarding the internal politics of the Anthropological Institute following the amalgamation of the ASL and the Ethnological Society.
J. Frederick Collingwood was a member of the Cannibal Club, an exclusive and controversial Victorian dining club founded in 1863.
The club was closely associated with the Anthropological Society of London and was founded by Sir Richard Francis Burton and Dr. James Hunt. It served as a venue for a group of radical thinkers, explorers, and social non-conformists.
The club is historically noted for its eccentric membership, which included writers, pornographers, explorers, and scholars—many of whom shared an interest in topics ranging from anthropology to the collection of erotic literature.
The club's name is said to have been inspired by Burton’s interest in the practice of cannibalism. Beyond its namesake, the club functioned as a private space where members could exchange ideas and critique the social mores of the Victorian era.
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