The Victorian Vision: Inventing the New Britain

By the time Queen Victoria died in 1901, transport, communications, the global economy, and many aspects of social life were recognisably similar to those of our own day. These revolutionary developments are thoroughly explored in the book's three major sections: society, technology and the world. The contributors, all experts in their fields, consider the ideas, products, inventions and social changes wrought by the Victorians, while chapters on the Far East, India, Africa and Australasia explore their interest in the wider world. Throughout the book an array of wonderful contemporary photographs, posters, paintings, sculpture, domestic ephemera, costume, medical equipment and many other images complement the lively and informative text.

John MacKenzie is Professor of Imperial History at Lancaster University and has written widely on the culture of imperialism. He was co-curator of the Inventing New Britain, The Victorian Vision exhibition at the V&A in 2001.