Download E-books The Victorian Eye: A Political History of Light and Vision in Britain, 1800-1910 PDF

By Chris Otter

During the 19th century, Britain grew to become the 1st gaslit society, with electrical lights arriving in 1878. even as, the British executive considerably increased its strength to watch and video display its matters. How did such huge, immense adjustments within the approach humans observed and have been noticeable impact Victorian culture?

To solution that question, Chris Otter mounts an formidable historical past of illumination and imaginative and prescient in Britain, drawing on wide examine into every thing from the technology of belief and lighting fixtures applied sciences to city layout and govt management. He explores how mild facilitated such practices as secure transportation and personal analyzing, in addition to institutional efforts to assemble wisdom. And he contends that, opposite to presumptions that illumination helped create a society managed by way of intrusive surveillance, the recent radiance frequently ended in better own freedom and used to be fundamental to the advance of contemporary liberal society.

The Victorian Eye’s cutting edge interdisciplinary approach—and beneficiant illustrations—will captivate more than a few readers attracted to the background of contemporary Britain, visible tradition, know-how, and urbanization.

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