Domestic Space in Britain, 1750-1840: Materiality, Sociability and Emotion

The book "Domestic Space in Britain, 1750-1840" explores the social and emotional significance of the home during this period, focusing on the design, decoration, and reception of elite and middling-class homes. It demonstrates that the material culture of domestic life was central to how contemporaries experienced, expressed, and understood the home. Through extensive archival research, visual, material, and textual analysis, and histories of emotion, sociability, and materiality, the book sheds light on the decoration and reception of a broad array of domestic spaces, establishing the materiality of the home as a crucial site for identity formation, social interaction, and emotional expression.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 10 March 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Between 1750 and 1840, the home assumed an unprecedented social and emotional significance, as explored in the book "Domestic Space in Britain, 1750-1840." Focusing on the design, decoration, and reception of a range of elite and middling-class homes during this period, the book demonstrates that the material culture of domestic life played a central role in how the home functioned, was experienced, expressed, and understood. By examining craft production and collection, gift exchange and written description, inheritance and loss, the book carefully unpacks the material processes that made the home a focal point for contemporaries' social and emotional lives.

As the first book on its subject, "Domestic Space in Britain, 1750-1840" employs methodologies from both art history and material culture studies to examine previously unpublished interiors, spaces, texts, images, and objects. Through extensive archival research, visual, material, and textual analysis, and histories of emotion, sociability, and materiality, the book sheds light on the decoration and reception of a broad array of domestic spaces. In doing so, it writes a new history of late 18th- and early 19th-century domestic space, establishing the materiality of the home as a crucial site for identity formation, social interaction, and emotional expression.

The book's rich and detailed analysis reveals the intricate ways in which the material culture of domestic life shaped the experiences and interactions of individuals and families within these homes. It demonstrates how the design, decoration, and furnishings of these spaces reflected the social, economic, and cultural values of the time, as well as the individual preferences and tastes of the inhabitants. The book also explores the role of the home in expressing and nurturing emotions, from the comfort and security of a well-decorated and organized space to the emotional turmoil that can be evoked by the presence of cherished objects and memories.

Through its examination of the material culture of domestic life, "Domestic Space in Britain, 1750-1840" offers a valuable insight into the complex and multifaceted nature of late 18th- and early 19th-century society. It sheds light on the social hierarch century, establishing the materiality of the home as a crucial site for identity formation, social interaction, and emotional expression. The book's meticulous research and engaging writing style make it a must-read for anyone interested in the history of material culture, the history of the home, or the broader social and cultural dynamics of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Weight: 732g
Dimension: 163 x 240 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501343360