The Enlightenment Library in an Age of Industrialisation: how Cultural Organisations responded to an Era of Rapid Social Change c. 1750-1914.

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Institutions frequented by the intellectual elite, such as the subscription library, have mainly been investigated in terms of the new ways of thinking that had emerged, and the ways in which they contributed to society at large. The written histories of these establishments oftentimes remains on a macro-historical level. This has effectively limited their relevance within the chronology of the Enlightenment which usually ends at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Though the Enlightenment is often viewed as a precursor to the Industrial Revolution, or rather, an engine which drove it, it is evident that these historical phenomena have largely been examined as unitary movements. The ways in which convivial spaces developed on an individual level in terms of their audiences' given class, gender or interests remains largely unobserved. The Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) in partnership with the Devon and Exeter Institution (DEI) will therefore provide an exceptional opportunity to explore these absences in depth. The various collections which the DEI has amassed from its inception in 1813 will undoubtedly serve further investigations into the ways in which the institute evolved and responded to industrial change. The influence which the Church had on the area will also become clearer when examining the records of the DEI and its audiences during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. When considering intellectual and learned discussion within institutions such as the DEI, it is important to note the extent to which certain individuals were either included or excluded. Despite the fact that the institutions within the public sphere promoted a freedom of thought, it is clear that this freedom was limited to those who had access to these spaces. The individuals themselves will therefore be probed in order to understand the character of the DEI and the main concerns of the members. The principal aim of this project will be to scrutinise the trajectory of the DEI's development following its inception in 1813 and throughout periods of rapid social change thereafter. There will be a particular focus on the changing intellectual, social, economic, and urban movements which were popularised in the area throughout the period. Questions will thus arise into whether the institution fell into the tradition of being either intellectually subversive or culturally aligned with the interests of the community. Community-based approaches will also be employed in the delivery of this project. Thus, the central objective of the DEI's National Lottery Heritage fund of opening accessibility to a wide range of people will be achieved through many forms of public engagement. The audiences who will specifically be targeted will be 1) local families, 2) socially isolated individuals and 3) schools that are not currently engaged with local heritage. In this way, a series of in person and digital talks, exhibitions and presentations will be used to cover different subjects and attract wider and more diverse audiences to the project. Research into the historical development of the DEI will therefore support and inform present-day development efforts.