Georgian Delights1980

In this pictorial account of life in Georgian England, Professor Plumb captures all the charm and humanity that characterised the age. It was a time of expansion, discovery and the dedicated pursuit of happiness, in which new interests -- intellectual, artistic and sporting -- were taken up with delighted enthusiasm. Many traditional British pleasures -- concerts, race meetings and seaside holidays among them -- have their origins in the eighteenth century, as do the Royal Academy, the London Zoo and Kew Gardens. Great talents emerged, men such as Handel, Gainsborough, Chippendale, Johnson and Capability Brown, producing work of unparalleled genius and diversity. A spirit of inquiry and adventure caused more people to read and to travel than ever before, and the enjoyment derived from...