Geography in Print: Cultures of Periodical Publishing at the Royal Geographical Society, 1830–1900
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Geography in Print: Cultures of Periodical Publishing at the Royal Geographical Society, 1830–1900. Benjamin Newman Doctor of Philosophy Royal Holloway, University of London 2018 Abstract This thesis examines the production and circulation of printed geographical knowledge in the nineteenth century, focusing specifically on the journal of the Royal Geographical Society, established in 1830. Geography’s texts have proved fertile ground for studies that have investigated the epistemic and inscriptive practices of authorship, editing, and translation, and how these practices have shaped the circulation of knowledge in print (Keighren, Withers, and Bell, 2015; Mayhew, 2010; Withers and Keighren, 2011). Hitherto, however, only limited attention has been paid to the discipline’s principal literary form: the scholarly periodical (Bond, 2017). Informed by work in the history of science, the history of geography, and the geography of the book, this thesis takes the first one-hundred volumes of the society’s journal to address this lacuna, revealing how institutional context and printed form mattered in the production and circulation of nineteenth-century geographical knowledge. By attending to archival records — including personal correspondence, council and committee minutes, accounts books, and published and unpublished journal manuscripts — the thesis charts the journal’s nineteenth-century life, reflecting on its importance to the society and the discipline more generally. The thesis reveals the considerable labour, both paid and unpaid, that was required to author, edit, and compile this regular work of geography. As such, the thesis sheds light on the ‘invisible hands’ that shaped geography’s print culture during the century. By elucidating the work of various practitioners in the production of geographical knowledge, the thesis argues that the journal was fundamentally an act of co-production. In so doing, the thesis provides the first account of how a systematic process of peer review developed as a scholarly practice to assess the credibility, topicality, and suitability of geographical writing. Finally, the thesis reflects upon the wider ii geographies of the journal; showing the networks through which the volumes were disseminated, it demonstrates the importance of the journal in bringing geography to both popular and academic audiences. In exploring the ways the journal was produced and disseminated, the thesis offers an account of the circulation of scientific knowledge in print; it shows how judgements were made as to the acceptance or rejection of particular forms of knowledge; and it demonstrates how institutional publications were managed by scientific societies. Through its interrogation of the journal’s making and mobility, the thesis demonstrates the value and utility of studying geography’s culture of periodical print. iii Acknowledgements In a thesis that deals with the hidden and visible labours of knowledge making, there are many people to thank that have each shaped this work in various ways. Sincere thanks must go to my supervisor, Innes Keighren — he has been unfailing with both his time and ideas. He has challenged me, spurred me on, provided an arm of comfort, and given a wealth of good advice. Simply, without his motivation, guidance, and good humour, this thesis would not exist. My second supervisor Klaus Dodds has been similarly generous, this thesis is all the better for your intellectual stimulation and wise words. My thanks too, to other staff in the geography department at Royal Holloway, in particular, my advisor Veronica della Dora, Oli Mould, Felix Driver, and Harriet Hawkins for giving me the confidence to apply for this PhD in the first place. Collaboration has been central to the development of this thesis. I must acknowledge the Arts and Humanities Research Council for their generous financial contribution through the Collaborative Doctoral Award Program. My collaborative partner, the Royal Geographical Society (w. IBG) has been similarly generous with their support. Firstly, my supervisor at the society, Catherine Souch, has been a source of inspiration and support throughout this project — for that I am most grateful. I would particularly like to thank the efforts of the Collections team in the Foyle Reading Room; predominantly for endless retrievals of journal manuscripts but also for your expertise and knowledge of the collection that has led me to many interesting documents that form the basis of this work. Other Collaborative Doctoral Students at the society have also been a source of good humour, advice, and intellectual conversation. Thanks, in particular, to Jane Wess for continual organisation of the monthly catch up — a space important for venting archival frustrations and making collaborative links. And also, to Peter Martin for numerous nineteenth-century iv publishing chats and the sharing of knowledge. Community has also been an important part of life at Royal Holloway over the past years. Simon Cook, I owe you a lot for your good nature, continual support, and ridiculously good disciplinary knowledge. There are more in Royal Holloway’s doctoral community than can be mentioned but special thanks to Hannah Awcock, Nina Willment, and Ashley Abrook — you have made my doctoral journey richer for being a part of it. This thesis would not exist without the unwavering support of my family and friends over the past four years. A special mention must go to Alex and Fiona for numerous weekend adventures that provided much needed respite, to Joe and Jonny for golf mornings and football chat, to Alex who routinely checked in from Canada to find out how things were progressing, and to Jody for support throughout. To my parents, Donna and Steve, for believing in me even when you were not exactly sure what I was doing — thank you for standing by me and being there whenever I called. Lastly, to my late-Grandfather, Pete. This thesis is for you. v Declaration of Authorship I, Benjamin Newman, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented herein is entirely my own and it has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. Parts of this thesis are forthcoming in two publications: “Authorising Geographical Knowledge: The Development of Peer Review 1830–c.1880” in the Journal of Historical Geography and “Worlds into Words — and Back Again” (co-authored with Innes M. Keighren) in The SAGE Handbook of Historical Geography. Benjamin Newman September 2018 vi Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv Declaration vi List of Figures ix List of Tables x Chapter 1: Introduction: Bringing Geography to the Periodical at the 1 Royal Geographical Society Structure of the Thesis 6 Chapter 2: Geography, Scientific Print, and the Making and 8 Dissemination of Knowledge Situating Geographical Knowledge in the Interdisciplinary 16 Geography of the Book Geography, Science, and the Periodical 27 Institutional Praxis and the Governance of Knowledge 43 Conclusion: Constructing the History of a Geographical Periodical 49 Chapter 3: Exploring a Nineteenth-Century Journal of Geography 51 Notes on Sources 55 Chapter 4: The Development of Periodical Cultures at the Royal 63 Geographical Society Planning and Publishing The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society 65 From a Journal to Proceedings 89 Conclusion: Towards a Geographical Journal 101 Chapter 5: Making Geography in Print: The Labours of Authoring, 105 Editing, and Compiling Regular Geographical Knowledge Guaranteeing Regular, Useful, and Interesting Knowledge 107 The Editor: An Organiser and Compiler of Geography and 116 Geographical Knowledge A Supporting Cast: The Co-Construction of Periodical Geography 129 Conclusion: Constructing Geographical Knowledge 138 Chapter 6: Assessing Topicality, Suitability, and Value: Authorising 139 the Journal’s Geographical Knowledge Developing a System of Textual Review 142 vii Geographical Gatekeepers: Specialists and Non-Experts 146 Performance, Politics, and Peer Review at the Society 150 The Unwritten Parameters of Geography 166 Conclusion: A Site of Textual Authority and Regulation of 177 Knowledge Chapter 7: Disseminating Geographical Knowledge: The Circulation 180 of the Journal as Gift, Transaction, and Exchange The Geographies of Distributing Geographical Knowledge 182 A Commercial Journal? The Journal’s Circulation to a Paying 188 Audience A Textual Economy of Print: The Journal as Mode of Scientific 195 Knowledge Exchange Circulating as Material Knowledge 207 Conclusion: Circulating Periodical Geography 213 Chapter 8: Concluding Thoughts: Geography, the Periodical, and the 220 Making and Dissemination of Knowledge The Co-production of Print 221 Networks of Knowledge 226 Periodical Geography: Implications, Futures, Opportunities 230 Reference and Source List 236 viii List of Figures Figure 1. Expenditure of the society between 1831–1879. 76 Figure 2. Page numbers of each number of The Journal of the Royal 77 Geographical Society 1830–1880. Figure 3. Copies of the journal on hand at the Murray publishing firm as of 81 February 1840. Figure 4. Outline of the cost of producing the journal against the returns in 87 sales. Figure 5. Francis Galton, by Henry Joseph Whitlock, c.1860s. 90 Figure 6. Norton Shaw’s printed referee’s report. 145 Figure 7. Handwritten questions by referee John Washington to Lieutenant 163 Webber Smith. Figure 8. The quantity of manuscripts published by decade in the society’s 176 journals