<p><strong>'An ingenious study of leisure and shopping in English towns, c. 1680-1830.'</strong> – <em>Contemporary Review</em></p>
Consumption is well established as a key theme in the study of the eighteenth century. Spaces of Consumption brings a new dimension to this subject by looking at it spatially.
Taking English towns as its scene, this inspiring study focuses on moments of consumption – selecting and purchasing goods, attending plays, promenading – and explores the ways in which these were related together through the spaces of the town: the shop, the theatre and the street. Using this fresh form of analysis, it has much to say about sociability, politeness and respectability in the eighteenth century.
This inspiring new study is based on the established key theme of consumption – selecting and purchasing goods, attending plays, promenading – and explores the ways in which these were related through the shop, the theatre and the street.
Introduction 1. Leisure, Consumption and Shopping: Concepts and Spaces 2. The Region: Hierarchies and Spatial Ordering 3. The Town: Politeness and Place 4. The Street: Stage and Performance 5. The Building: Representation and Display 6. The Individual: Social Practices and Identity 7. Virtual Space: Advertising, Consumption and the Town. Conclusions. Bibliography