The Image of Georgian Bath 1700-2000

Book excerpt: This interdisciplinary study explores the evolution, structure, and uses of the image of Georgian Bath, from its genesis in the eighteenth century to its renaissance in the twentieth century. In recent decades there has been both a popular resurgence of interest in heritage and tradition, and a growing academic awareness of the power of imagery in shaping the lives of individuals and societies. There is perhaps no city in Britain so saturated in history and layered with historic imagery as Bath. It therefore provides an ideal case-study to investigate the dynamic fusion and impact of the forces of past and representation. The dominant perception of Bath today is that of a classical and particularly Georgian city. In this stimulating and scholarly study, Peter Borsay examines the construction and development of this image. Its principal components, biography and architecture, are explored, together with the media through which it was constructed and transmitted, as well as its commercial, social, political, and psychological uses. Dr Borsay concludes by relating the findings for Bath to current debates on towns, heritage, and the nature of history.