The Society of Antiquaries, 1830-1870: institution, intellectual questions, community, and the search for the past

"This thesis treats the Society of Antiquaries of London, 1830-1870. Chapter One applies contemporary models of intellectual fields to antiquarianism, and suggests a model comprised of three components: institution, shared intellectual questions and community. Features such as public image, funding, institutional culture, and mechanisms for directing research are also discussed. Chapters Two, Three and Four each treat one component of the model proposed in Chapter One. Chapter Two treats the history of the Society, and its commitment to the collection of historical materials, despite its limited means. Chapter Three introduces the encyclopedic antiquarian intellectual domain, embracing manuscript study, philology, numismatics and archaeology, among others. The model for their integration is found in William Camden''s 1586 Britannia, which led to the formation of the Society..."