To lie abroad – the Georgian traveller

Speaker: Gordon Le Pard

In the eighteenth century, travel became easier for everybody. Roads were improved, canals and later railways were developed, and it became much safer to travel by sea. At the same time the idea of travelling for pleasure began, from seaside holidays to the Grand Tour of Europe and further to North America and the Far East.

This presentation is based around artefacts, the majority of which will be original. From maps and guidebooks for the traveller, to the equipment a traveller was advised to take, from Brighton Buns to pre-photographic cameras (and perhaps even rose-tinted spectacles); souvenirs from home and abroad, and objects brought back for armchair travellers – these will all be on display.

Gordon was, formerly, an archaeologist working for Dorset County Council. He has written extensively on Dorset’s history and archaeology and led numerous walks round archaeological sites and historic churches.