The Cannibal Club and the Origins of 19 th Century Racism and Pornography Author: John W

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.