Georgian Geographies

Book excerpt: This text provides an interdisciplinary examination of the geographical nature of culture and society in 18th-century Britain and the British world. The book's introduction identifies the key areas of study as the geographical constitution of empire, the Enlightenment and the public sphere. These themes are explored by examining the connections between space, place and landscape in the 18th century in relation to the emergent empire in the Caribbean and north-west America, and Britain itself. Under consideration are topics such as landscape art, London's art world, geography books, mapping, the geography of erotic fiction, provincial science and the production of domestic space in the early English novel. This collection offers substantial empirical evidence and should be a valuable contribution to 18th-century studies for research and teaching staff, postgraduates and advanced undergraduate students in geography, history, literary studies, the history of art, postcolonial studies and the history of science.