This thesis examines geographical publishing in mid-Victorian Britain. Focusing specifically on literatures of travel and exploration, it considers the role of publishers and the publishing industry more widely in shaping the geographical understandings of a range of mid-Victorian readers. Through a detailed examination of the production, circulation and reception of four publishing projects, this thesis provides insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with different forms of publishing whilst also drawing attention to the broader print culture which was implicated in bringing knowledge of these works (and the geographies within them) to various reading publics. The first chapter offers a critical overview of recent work by historical geographers and historians of science concerning print culture, publishing and scientific knowledge. It also outlines the theoretical framework adopted within this thesis which emphasises the importance of considering production, circulation and reception simultaneously. The second chapter develops this discussion further by providing a rationale for a study of travel and exploration publishing specifically. It also explores the methodological implications of deploying an approach which simultaneously considers how particular works of geography were produced, replicated and consumed in the mid-Victorian period. Chapters 3-6 offer detailed case studies of particular publishing projects. Chapter 3 examines David Livingstone's Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa (John Murray, 1857). Chapter 4 explores Francis Galton's The Art of Travel or, Shifts and Contrivances Available in Wild Countries (John Murray, 1855). Chapters 5 and 6 focus on multi-authored works. Chapter five considers the series Vacation Tourists and Notes of Travel (Macmillan and Co., 1861-1864). Chapter 6 investigates the periodical Geographical Magazine (Trtibner, 1874-1878). Through these case studies, as the concluding chapter 7 highlights, this thesis offers new insights into the way that print figured in shaping particular geographical imaginations during the nineteenth century.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:554205 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Henderson, Louise Christine |
| Publisher | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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