Victorians and the Prehistoric: Tracks to a Lost World

This is simply an outstanding introduction to the Victorians and their deep interest in the prehistoric period. Not only has the author done a superb job in developing his text, with solid research and extensive bibliographic notes, but the book is so beautifully printed as to compare with the best coffeetable art books. The author traces this interest in things prehistoric to the development in the early 19th century of railroads and canals, whose construction necessitated much digging and tunneling, resulting in large numbers of fossils and rock samples being disgorged. This leads into a discussion of the concept of time, and a very fine examination of the continuing argument about the age of the earth and how this impacted on Darwin's work later in the century (1859). The Victorian fixation with fossils and dinos is examined. A fine chaper is devoted to biblical floods and how this concept impacted on the growing geological evidence. Next, Darwin makes his entrance with all this prehistoric interest and evidence already serving as background. Finally, a most perceptive analysis is offered of how museums began to flourish in this environment, given all these new exhibits, and the manner in which these geologic and fossil treasures were displayed. The author has brought to bear the many talents manifested in his earlier "Railways and the Victorian Imagination," also published by Yale and very similar in being a remarkable collection of art as well as an instructive text. Hopefully, the author will follow these two achievements with similar volumes.