
Visions of the Future
Almanacs, Time, and Cultural Change 1775-1870
Maureen Perkins(Author)
Clarendon Press
Published on 17. October 1996
Book
Hardback
282 pages
978-0-19-812178-7 (ISBN)
Description
Historians have long puzzled over the `death' of astrology at the end of the seventeenth century. Visions of the Future demonstrates that astrology was alive and well for much of the nineteenth century, finding expression in one of the best-selling items of popular literature, the almanac. It examines the contents of the most notorious almanacs, such as Moore's and Poor Robin, publications which provide a colourful entry into popular culture and which suggest that a belief in the possibility of seeing the future was widespread. The book goes on to discuss why all claims to predict the future, including those of astrology, became categorized as `superstition'. It argues that this development was linked to two major cultural changes: the rise of statistical discourse and the dominance of Newtonian time. Statistical forecasting achieved the status of a `science' at the same time as `visions' of the future were being marginalized. Examining the historical context of the substitution of one type of knowledge for another makes an important contribution to current discussion about interaction between the different levels of culture.
Reviews / Votes
This is a brilliant book, combining thorough scholarship with original insights. It should deepen our understanding of a remarkable number of subjects. ... Perkins is no wild-eyed student of cultural studies, however; a more sober and thoroughly documented account would be hard to imagine. * Culture and Cosmos, vol.1, no.1, Spring/Summer 1997 * This is a brilliant book, combining thorough scholarship with original insight. It should deepen our understanding of a remarkable number of subjects. There is also fascinating material here on comic almanacs and Australian almanacs. * Patrick Curry, Culture and Cosmos, Vol. 1, No.1, Spring/Summer 1997 * admirable monograph * Jon Mee, Oxford University, Jrnl of Religious History, Vol 23, no 2, June 1999 *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Oxford University Press
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
9 Fotos bzw. Rasterbilder
9 halftones
Dimensions
Height: 224 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
476 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-812178-7 (9780198121787)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Author
Post Doctoral Research FellowPost Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of History, University of Western Australia