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"The Wild Boys of London; or, the Children of the Night"
The Wild Boys of London, was a controversial serial about a gang of young criminals, which according to the British Library featured salacious and inappropriate tales and illustrations for its boy readership. But don't my word for it. Here is a sample of one of the versions featuring a topless female being whipped. The Wild Boys of London's author was unknown, but there were several created linked to it such as Edwin J. Brett the founder of Newsagents Publishing Company. The British Library mentioned The Wild Boys of London was "first published as a serial" and then later a novel like many penny dreadfuls during this time. This one, however, once released as a novel, "became one of the most notorious books of the age." The public grew outraged over the disturbing writing and the later British law intervened, prosecuting those who tried to sell it under the Obscene Publication Act.
Where can I get a copy of The Wild Boys of London; or, the Children of the Night?
Unfortunately, I was unable to find an ebook or printed version of the penny dreadful. It could be because of all the litigation The Wild Boys of London received. Who knows? Some of the printed material and images are available online via the British Library and if you click on the images you can read a page or two of the original versions.
Mina Burrows
