Posting It: The Victorian Revolution in Letter Writing

by Catherine J. Golden

"A beautifully researched study of how the Victorian Penny Post altered human relations. As Golden eloquently documents, family and friends could, at last, easily keep in touch with distant relatives, but cheap postage also provided new opportunities for blackmailers and con artists. In her richly textured study, we learn not only about the pervasive use of letters as a literary device in fiction, but also the immense increase in paraphernalia related to the writing and sending of a letter or that new invention, the postcard. Anyone interested in the complex relationship between material and cultural change will find this book illuminating."--Martha Vicinus, University of Michigan
 
"Just as the Penny Post revolutionized communications, Catherine Golden’s meticulous and imaginative analysis of its cultural effects transforms our reading experience of Victorian fiction. From the blackmail plot to the writing desk, the paraphernalia of the Victorian novel takes on new meaning and contemporary parallels."--Elaine Showalter, Princeton University"Provides an engaging and comprehensive account of the context and spirit of Victorian postal reform and the resulting rise in affective correspondence that continues to this day."--Eileen Cleere, Southwestern University"Combines historical perspective, social context, and literary criticism. It goes beyond the standard historical or literary work in that it provides insights into the daily lives and values of Victorians of all classes. As such it makes a significant contribution to Victorian cultural studies. Golden explains the impact of the Penny Post on the nineteenth century and draws parallels to the communications revolution of today."--Richard Fantina, Vermont State CollegesAlthough "snail mail" may seem old fashioned and outdated in the twenty-first century, Catherine Golden argues that the creation of the Penny Post in Victorian England was just as revolutionary in its time as e-mail and text messages are today.

Until Queen Victoria instituted the Postal Reform Act of 1839, mail was a luxury affordable only by the rich. Allowing anyone, from any social class, to send a letter anywhere in the country for only a penny had multiple and profound cultural impacts.

Golden demonstrates how cheap postage--which was quickly adopted in other countries--led to a postal "network" that can be viewed as a forerunner of computer-mediated communications. Indeed, the revolution in letter writing of the nineteenth century led to blackmail, frauds, unsolicited mass mailings, and junk mail--problems that remain with us today.Catherine J. Golden is professor of English at Skidmore College.

Genres: Victorian, Nonfiction, History, Historical

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Catherine J. Golden is an English professor at Skidmore College.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m fascinated by the Victorian Era and this is a wonderful book which is brimming with information, detail, comment and insights. It walks the line between a very serious and academic study and a joyful and eyes-wide-open fascination with the material being covered very well.

I knew very little about the world of the post office in England beyond the fact Anthony Trollope worked for the post office before I read this book. Having completed Golden’s book I am excited to focus in on the mention of letters and mail in 19C literature. There is so much that any writer does in a novel that a reader misses because times have changed. As a 21 C reader we can enjoy reading novels written in the past so much more if we understand where the writer is coming from rather than assuming we know every nuance of a novel that comes to us from the past.

What was also so fascinating in this book as how Golden showed how the world we live in today is the child of the past. History surrounds us. This book helped me see that much more clearly.

Enjoy!

[Emily Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brimming with all of the minutiae one would expect from an academic history of letter writing in a celebrated age of British history. At times a little tedious, but Golden's use of comparing the modes of Victorian communication with modern day email/social networking technology was exciting. There seems to be a lot of that going on at the moment, whether through the Steampunk movement (yes, I *will* call it that) or iPhone apps like "The Victorianator", which teaches you, by hand movements and gesturing, to read Tennyson poems with a 19th century reading voice. Everyone wants to compare our current society to the Victorians. I consider this to be a kind of "mourning" (yearning?) reaction to the breakdown of Western Civilization, but that's a whole other book review.

All in all, an anecdote-heavy history of postage stamps, Valentines, and post offices. Her look at the post within the novels of Anthony Trollope, Dickens and Bronte (among others) was worth the read alone.

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed and exhaustively researched book that occasionally lapses into a bit of repetition. However, fascinating and illuminating examination of Victorian methods of communication and how close it parallels modern methods. Discussion includes modern situations regarding the Internet but before that we get analyses of art, postal systems, class systems, personal experiences, and lots and lots of satisfying literary information.
Perfect for the anglophile who is confused by some contemporary references in their favorite Austen or Dickens.
And a HUGE plus in this book: the author refuses to conjecture on the sexual proclivities of her subjects. Nor does she forcinly relegate them to some alternative lifestyle. Oscar Wilde is in this book, and his lifestyle bears some relevance, but here as a writer and postal user, not as a poster boy. The book does discuss aspects of human behavior that do sometimes include adultery and whatnot. But again, this is within the reasonable realms related to the topic.
Like Jenny Uglow, this author seems to truly delve into historical fact. I'll be looking her up again.

[Teaandbooksplease · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the implementation of the Penny Post in 19th Century England and how it changed the ways people communicate. Golden looks at the Penny Post through the lens of narrative, both the stories people told to bring about postal reform and the way those reforms found their way into the 19th Century novel from Eliot to Dickens to Trollope (an employee of the post). Ever noticed how often Austen's heroines send and receive letters? That's because the post came somewhere between 6 and 12 times a day. You could mail all sort of things for a low rate, including yourself if you were lost - a postal employee would see you safely to your destined address! Informative and enjoyable, especially for those who love Victorian literature.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an academic book and unfortunately written for fellow academics rather than general readers. At times it was repetitive as she worked to make her point rather than to share facts.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the rating says, "it was ok." This book could have been so much better. It was an interesting look at the social pressures for the passage of the penny post law and a neat look at how Britons put it to use. At first glance, the book appears to be a scholarly treatment of the role of letter writing in mid-nineteenth century Britain, however several things distracted me from really enjoying this work. Stylistically, the author tends to repeat herself in almost every chapter, leading me to wonder if she proofread the final product. Another aspect of the book that really bothered me is that it seemed that either the author is very naive, historically speaking, or underestimates her audience. On page 92, in discussing the postal stationary created by Mulready, she seems fixated on the iconography Mulready used to symbolize the reach and diversity of the Empire in 1840/1850. She states, "By 21st century standards, Mulready's design verges on the politically incorrect and arguably reflects...the natural xenophobia of the English." She then goes on to point out that the iconography reflect outdated stereotypes, racial supremacy and cultural bias. In a endnote on page 265, she feels compelled to pass judgement on British expansionism, which I don't think is a debate suitable for a book on the social impact of the penny post. Her comments don't reflect scholarly neutrality, and with the comment on political incorrectness, I have to wonder if she assumes her audience is somewhat ignorant and fragile in psyche, that she has to explain the iconography. This is probably a minor point to most readers, but along with the repetiveness found in every chapter, I was distracted throughout the rest of the book.

Overall the book is very informative, but it also has a superficial quality in terms of analysis. The postal history of this period of Britain is very rich and a large amount of research has been done by postal historians and philatelists that could have been marshalled into almost every chapter. The author failed to do this and her analysis, or lack thereof, reflects this. I still think that the definitive book on the social impact of the penny post has yet to be written.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Catherine Golden offers an incisive history of the UK's penny post (dating only from 1840) and the far-reaching impact it had on British society. For me, Part II was the most interesting-- she examines the material objects that the Victorians produced as a response to this new communication medium. An all around fascinating read if you are interested in the history of communication, philately, postal history, or mail art.

Throughout the book Golden uses examples from literature, art, and historical documents to create a solid evidence base. However, as someone not familiar with Victorian literature found the information about authors, plots, etc to be a bit confusing at times. Unfortunately, Golden's publisher chose not to reproduce the paintings she discusses in color. I understand that from an economic standpoint, but this book is not cheap and, given how central the paintings are, it is frustrating not to see them in color. It also seems a bit random which images are reproduced in full page and which just get half or quarter page segments. I hope a future edition will include color plates.

Nevertheless, Golden's book is worth picking up to get a sense of the history of the postal system in the UK-- a forerunner to the US system.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the implementation of the Penny Post in 19th Century England and how it changed the ways people communicate. Golden looks at the Penny Post through the lens of narrative, both the stories people told to bring about postal reform and the way those reforms found their way into the 19th Century novel from Eliot to Dickens to Trollope (an employee of the post). Ever noticed how often Austen's heroines send and receive letters? That's because the post came somewhere between 6 and 12 times a day. You could mail all sort of things for a low rate, including yourself if you were lost - a postal employee would see you safely to your destined address! Informative and enjoyable, especially for those who love Victorian literature.