Description
Book SynopsisAn exploration of the proliferation of paper in early modern Britain and its far-reaching effects on politics and society. We are used to thinking of ourselves as living in a time when more information is more available than ever before. In The Specter of the Archive, Nicholas Popper shows that earlier eras had to grapple with the same problemhow to deal with too much information at their fingertips. He reveals that early modern Britain was a society newly drowning in paper, a light and durable technology whose spread allowed statesmen to record drafts, memoranda, and other ephemera that might otherwise have been lost, and also made it possible for ordinary people to collect political texts. As original paperwork and copies alike flooded the government, information management became the core of politics. Focusing on two of the primary political archives of early modern England, the Tower of London Record Office and the State Paper Office, Popper traces the circulation of their
Trade Review“Popper’s focus on the keepers and users of the records of the Tower of London and the newly formed State Paper Office gives us a brilliant new perspective on statecraft in England, ca. 1559–1700. Greater attention to creating and managing archives changed political practice; skills in paperwork became grounds for advancement and archives were plumbed for arguments to support the full range of political causes of the day, transforming the role of information in governance in ways that still resonate today.” * Ann Blair, Harvard University *
“This powerful and engaging book offers a bold account of why practices of information management should matter to early modern historians.
The Specter of the Archive demands very serious attention, and it will surely stimulate a vigorous debate and a wealth of new research.” * Jason Peacey, University College London *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1: Archivization
2: Pump and Circulation
3: Institutions Reimagined
4: Shared Practice and Rival Visions of the State
5: Information Warfare
6: Centralization and Orchestration
Epilogue: The World of the Archive
List of Abbreviations
List of Manuscripts and Manuscript Collections Cited
Notes
Bibliography
Index
