Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 33390


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I am just now (when at home) reading 'Cosmos', a sketch of a physical description of the universe. Parts of it are very interesting, but others of too deeply scientific character for my limited capacity to comprehend; still I hope to gather a good deal of curious and useful information from it...'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

2 May 1847

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Leicester
county: Leicestershire
specific address: Beaumont Leys

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Eliza Ellis

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

3 Dec 1825

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Amateur geologist

Religion:

Quaker

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Alexander von Humboldt

Title:

Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe

Genre:

Science, Natural history

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

33390

Source:

Print

Author:

Eliza Ellis

Editor:

Margaret Ellis

Title:

Letters and Memorials of Eliza Ellis: Compiled by Her Sister, Margaret Ellis

Place of Publication:

Leicester

Date of Publication:

1883

Vol:

n/a

Page:

34

Additional Comments:

Privately printed by Samuel Clarke, 5 Gallowtree Gate, Leicester, and 'for private circulation only'.

Citation:

Eliza Ellis, Margaret Ellis (ed.), Letters and Memorials of Eliza Ellis: Compiled by Her Sister, Margaret Ellis, (Leicester, 1883), p. 34, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=33390, accessed: 20 April 2024


Additional Comments:

Letter from Eliza Ellis to Hannah Lucas. The edition/translation details are unknown, although it is likely that Ellis was reading only Volume 1, as only this was available in English or French translation in May 1847.

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design