Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish writer in the Victorian Era of the late 19th century known for such plays as The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband and the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.
University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives has a 1907 copy of Wilde’s play Salomé. Based on a biblical tale, it was first written by Wilde in French in 1891 then translated to English in 1893. The illustration of Salomé shown here is opposite the title page in the 1907 work in Special Collections.
Wilde’s play is infamous for his stage direction which is the first known reference to the dance Salomé is said to have performed for Herod II as the Dance of the Seven Veils. The performance of the dance is said to have lead to the execution of John the Baptist. Salomé is said to have agreed to perform for Herod only if he brought her the head of John the Baptist on a platter. In addition to his play and novel writing, Wilde was also known for his poetry, fairy tales, and numerous journal essays.