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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
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Record Number: 1300


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Henry Mayhew interviews a 'London sneak or common thief': "On Sunday evenings the only books read were such as 'Jack Sheppard', 'Dick Turpin' and the 'Newgate Calendar', they got out of the neighbouring libraries by depositing 1s. These were read with much interest; the lodgers would sooner have these than any other books."

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1850 and 31 Dec 1859

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: London
other location: low lodging house

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

passive reactive unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

anon

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (non-agricultural)

Occupation:

cheap john/ ballad singer/ thief

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

other inmates of low lodging house


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

William Harrison Ainsworth

Title:

Rookwood

Genre:

Fiction, History

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

Borrowed (circulating library)
borrowed library


Source Information:

Record ID:

1300

Source:

Print

Author:

Henry Mayhew

Editor:

n/a

Title:

London Labour and the London Poor

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1861

Vol:

4

Page:

302

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor (London, 1861), 4, p. 302, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=1300, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

reader and listener; taken in turns

   
   
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