The Cannibal Club and the Origins of 19th Century Racism and Pornography

Abstract

This paper looks at the activities of the notorious mid-nineteenth century “Cannibal Club” and relates its activities to the particular forms of racism and pornography that developed in Victorian Britain. The aim is to highlight the particular ways in which scientific and anthropological thought developed in Victorian Britain, leading to specific forms of racism and sexism that are still sometimes operative even in today’s society.