And, as an accompanying piece, Humphrey Jennings' Pandaemonium 1660-1886: The coming of the machine as seen by contemporary observers is an absolute treasure trove of writings on the 'sturm und drang' of the coming of the industrial age.
Thanks to Matthew Ward for the image, from "an old text book".
Thanks for the great map. This demonstrates neatly the kind of 'convergent evolution' which generated the industrial revolution, and scotches the claim of cities like Manchester and Glasgow to be 'the cradle of the industrial revolution'. I'm particularly interested in the way that the enlightenment in the 18th century set the course for the next century's industrial development - a walk-on part for writers and thinkers?
ReplyDeleteYes, capital and the market are meaningless (and now anyway discredited?) without the true innovations and ideas of the thinkers, scientists, engineers and polymaths; the challenge for the future is to harness this genius for the common good of humanity and the rest of the planet, rather than short-sighted greed. Amen!
ReplyDelete