Pleasures & Pastimes in Victoria

"It was a paradox of nineteenth-century Britain that while work was the bedrock upon which the Victorian vision of progress and improvement was constructed, the years between 1837 and 1901 saw the greatest upsurge in leisure pursuits hitherto witnessed. This book deals with the pleasures and pastimes enjoyed by the Victorians, setting the various activities enjoyed into the context of the growth of leisure time and changes in occupational structure, as well as the increasing concentration of people in urban society. However, the spread of leisure was uneven, and this book also explores regional differences, and the growing divergence between urban and rural areas where employment patterns affected by seasonal demand could be radically different."--BOOK JACKET. "Richly illustrated with photographs and contemporary cartoons, this is a fascinating and engaging account of a neglected aspect of Victorian life. A stimulating read for historians, the book will also appeal to those with a more general interest in Victorian society."--BOOK JACKET.