Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
  RED International Logo

RED Australia logo


RED Canada logo
RED Netherlands logo
RED New Zealand logo

Record Number: 2828


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Lancashire weaver Elizabeth Blackburn... proceeded to an evening institute course in English literature and by the rhythm of the looms she memorised all of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind", Milton's Lycidas, and Gray's Elegy. She discovered the ancient Greeks at the home of a neighbour, a self-educated classicist with six children, and a Sunday school teacher introduced her to the plays of Bernard Shaw. While attending her looms she silently analysed the character of Jane Eyre's Mr Rochester, "sometimes to the detriment of my weaving".'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1902 and 31 Dec 1932

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

county: Lancashire

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Elizabeth Blackburn

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

1902

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (non-agricultural)

Occupation:

weaver

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

George Bernard Shaw

Title:

[plays]

Genre:

Drama

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

2828

Source:

Print

Author:

Jonathan Rose

Editor:

n/a

Title:

The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes

Place of Publication:

New Haven

Date of Publication:

2001

Vol:

n/a

Page:

163

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Jonathan Rose, The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes (New Haven, 2001), p. 163, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=2828, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

See Elizabeth K. Blackburn, 'In and Out the Windows' (Burnley, n.d.); and 'When I was a Little Girl: A Bunch of Childhood Memories' (Burnley, n.d.) Introduced by a Sunday School teacher to Shaw.

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design