The Railway Station: A Social History - Hardcover

Richards, Jeffrey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0192158767 ISBN 13: 9780192158765

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1986

Synopsis

For the Victorians, the advent of the railways symbolized a new age of progress, power, and civilization. Since then, industrialization has often proved a mixed blessing; yet we continue to acknowledge the importance--as well as the romantic mystique--of the rails and all that comes with them. This engaging book examines the role of the railway station around the world, revealing a microcosm more complex and fascinating than anything our nineteenth-century forebears could have dreamed of. The authors chart the changing styles in the construction and decoration of the station, from the somber grandeur of St. Pancras in London to the humbler delights of country stations in the American Midwest. As the book shows, the various facilities offered by the station have assumed as much importance as the building itself: the ticket office and the waiting room have become as familiar as the trains. The book also discusses how, in paintings and poetry, stations have been depicted as places of tearful departure or joyful reunion, and how, in films like Brief Encounter, they have assumed the status of a starring role. Stations also have had a part to play in politics and the economy, especially in wartime, and governments throughout the world have long recognized their strategic significance. This enthralling volume captures the allure of the station by encompassing the disciplines of history, literature, art, and architecture in a sweeping global survey, unique in both scope and perspective.

About this title

About the Author

Jeffrey Richards is Professor of Cultural History at Lancaster University. Among his books are Hollywood's Ancient Worlds, Sir Henry Irving: A Victorian Actor and his World and Imperialism and Music. The Railway Station: a Social History, co-written with John MacKenzie, has been reissued in Faber Finds. Jeffrey Richards is general editor of the Studies in Popular Culture series.

Synopsis

This delightful and wide-ranging compendium' (Books and Bookmen) captures the mystique of railway stations by crossing the disciplines of history, literature, art, and architecture in a sweeping global survey unique in its scope.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1986
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0192158767
• ISBN 13: 9780192158765
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 460