Description
Book SynopsisThis book re-examines spa and assembly culture as key venues for sociability in the eighteenth century.
Focused chiefly on the eighteenth century, this volume looks forward into the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While many of the articles concern aspects of the city of Bath, the book stretches beyond Bathâs confines, taking in comparative British towns such as Tunbridge Wells, European spa towns, such as Nice, and the impact Bath had on spa towns in America. Chapters reconsider familiar themes such as the marriage market but also offer new insights into the architectural development of the city and the role of Masters of Ceremonies: the officials who oversaw Assembly Roomsâ rules and culture. There are also insights into the musical culture of spa towns and the varied backgrounds of the artists and performers. As places that attracted the wealthy and powerful, the book rounds off with consideration of Bath and other spa townsâ importance as centres of culture and d
