Drawing on images that shaped the popular perception of British towns between 1780 and 1880, Beyond the Metropolis challenges enduring misconceptions about urbanization, its representation, and interpretation throughout the long nineteenth century. Over the past century, historical reality has merged seamlessly with mythology, literature, and caricature, to create a dramatic, but utterly misleading representation of our urban past. Dark satanic mills, cobbled streets, and cholera have become common shorthand for the nineteenth-century British town. Yet, there is little to suggest that the Urba ... More

Drawing on images that shaped the popular perception of British towns between 1780 and 1880, Beyond the Metropolis challenges enduring misconceptions about urbanization, its representation, and interpretation throughout the long nineteenth century. Over the past century, historical reality has merged seamlessly with mythology, literature, and caricature, to create a dramatic, but utterly misleading representation of our urban past. Dark satanic mills, cobbled streets, and cholera have become common shorthand for the nineteenth-century British town. Yet, there is little to suggest that the Urban Renaissance identified by Peter Borsay ended in 1770, or that every town in Britain experienced the same topographical consequences of expansion. Using engaging and diverse evidence, including souvenirs, pocket panoramas, and ceramics, this book investigates the relationship between pictorial convention, visual innovation, and urban identity. In contrast to myriad publications that address London exclusively, it examines images that reflect the growing political, social, and cultural significance of British provincial towns in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. Covering locations from Bristol to Leeds, Glasgow to Birmingham, and Manchester to Swansea, it reveals a complex and compelling new narrative of British urbanisation. Subjects that currently enjoy the attention of historians, planners, and politicians alike, including public space, popular protest, civic identity, and residential development, are approached from unfamiliar vantage points provided by hitherto under-researched sources. The result is a timely and persuasive re-evaluation of the British city, its changing form, representation, and impact.