Title: Travels and travelers in the 19th century
Description: This small manuscript collection from the British Library provides an intimate look into the lives and adventures of travelers in the nineteenth century. Included in this collection is a rare manuscript of a fictional work by brother and sister Charles and Mary Lamb, which takes the form of a letter written by a woman traveling in France to her "dear friend." The letter was likely inspired by Charles and Mary's trip to France in 1822. Also included are fives volumes of a travel journal written by Robert Ker Porter, an English artist, author, diplomat, and traveler. The journal documents his travels to Persia beginning in 1817. Another five-volume set written by J.J. (James Johnson) Macintyre relate his travels to Mexico, Australia, Gibraltar, and more. The manuscript labeled "No. 5" is described as a rough first draft of a book manuscript that was to be titled Walks on deck and rambles on shore during a voyage of circumnavigation of the globe; By the routes of the Isthmus of Suez and the Isthmus of Panama, 4 March through 18 Nov. 1853. In the 1990s, Macintyre's great-granddaughters published an edited version of his journals in the book A merchant's tale: the adventures of a 19th century Scottish trader. This curated collected is a valuable primary source repository for those studying travel in the nineteenth century. Many of the manuscripts are accompanied by detailed descriptions that will assist the researcher in deciphering the texts and placing them in their historical contexts.
Subjects: Travel, Travelers, Maps
Time periods: 19th century