PUSHKIN PRESS — THE LONDON LIBRARY
As the Industrial Revolution spread wealth and work around Britain, a stronger and more influential middle class began to arise. And with it came a rise in social anxiety. For while nineteenth-century fashions were constantly changing, the importance of the baffling social codes was entirely rigid, and a newly prosperous and bewildered middle class was in dire need of careful guidance and advice.
And so rulebooks such as Hints on Etiquette began to emerge, aiming to demystify the byzantine laws governing behaviour and social interaction. Many of these pieces of advice might seem dated in the 21st century, but the popularity of Downton Abbey, the existence of hereditary peers and a fascination with the royal family are proof that the class system of Victorian Britain still casts its shadow today…
The books in “Found on the Shelves” have been chosen to give a fascinating insight into the treasures that can be found while browsing in The London Library. Now celebrating its 175th anniversary, with over seventeen miles of shelving and more than a million books, The London Library has become an unrivalled archive of the modes, manners and thoughts of each generation which has helped to form it.
From essays on sherry and claret to a passionate defence of early air travel, from advice on how best to navigate the Victorian dinner party to accounts of European adventures, they are as readable and relevant today as they were more than a century ago—even if it is no longer considered vulgar to lounge on sofas in the presence of ladies!