The Scottish urban hierarchy and its interaction with the print trade and venues for reading, as revealed by an 1820s trade directory

Vivienne Seonaid Dunstan

doi:10.1017/S096392682510031X

The Scottish urban hierarchy and its interaction with the print trade and venues for reading, as revealed by an 1820s trade directory

Vivienne Seonaid Dunstan

Humanities

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This article combines book history and urban history to examine the spread of the print trade and facilities for reading in Scotland by the 1820s, using a Scotland-wide trade directory as its main source. The article demonstrates how support for reading, including printers, bookshops and venues for reading, extended far and wide within the Scottish urban hierarchy – from the largest cities to the smallest towns and villages. Variations between different types of towns are discussed, and local case studies provide further insights. The article provides fresh perspectives on Scottish urbanization, through its snapshot view of Scotland’s towns in the mid-1820s.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-18
Number of pages	18
Journal	Urban History
Early online date	10 Sept 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S096392682510031X
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 10 Sept 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Access to Document

10.1017/S096392682510031XLicence: CC BY

Final published versionFinal published version, 679 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{bacb4680bbd24714902ac01af5a98d64,

title = "The Scottish urban hierarchy and its interaction with the print trade and venues for reading, as revealed by an 1820s trade directory",

abstract = "This article combines book history and urban history to examine the spread of the print trade and facilities for reading in Scotland by the 1820s, using a Scotland-wide trade directory as its main source. The article demonstrates how support for reading, including printers, bookshops and venues for reading, extended far and wide within the Scottish urban hierarchy – from the largest cities to the smallest towns and villages. Variations between different types of towns are discussed, and local case studies provide further insights. The article provides fresh perspectives on Scottish urbanization, through its snapshot view of Scotland{\textquoteright}s towns in the mid-1820s.",

author = "Dunstan, \{Vivienne Seonaid\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1017/S096392682510031X",

language = "English",

pages = "1--18",

journal = "Urban History",

issn = "0963-9268",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Scottish urban hierarchy and its interaction with the print trade and venues for reading, as revealed by an 1820s trade directory

AU - Dunstan, Vivienne Seonaid

PY - 2025/9/10

Y1 - 2025/9/10

N2 - This article combines book history and urban history to examine the spread of the print trade and facilities for reading in Scotland by the 1820s, using a Scotland-wide trade directory as its main source. The article demonstrates how support for reading, including printers, bookshops and venues for reading, extended far and wide within the Scottish urban hierarchy – from the largest cities to the smallest towns and villages. Variations between different types of towns are discussed, and local case studies provide further insights. The article provides fresh perspectives on Scottish urbanization, through its snapshot view of Scotland’s towns in the mid-1820s.

AB - This article combines book history and urban history to examine the spread of the print trade and facilities for reading in Scotland by the 1820s, using a Scotland-wide trade directory as its main source. The article demonstrates how support for reading, including printers, bookshops and venues for reading, extended far and wide within the Scottish urban hierarchy – from the largest cities to the smallest towns and villages. Variations between different types of towns are discussed, and local case studies provide further insights. The article provides fresh perspectives on Scottish urbanization, through its snapshot view of Scotland’s towns in the mid-1820s.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105015735705

U2 - 10.1017/S096392682510031X

DO - 10.1017/S096392682510031X

M3 - Article

SN - 0963-9268

SP - 1

EP - 18

JO - Urban History

JF - Urban History

ER -

The Scottish urban hierarchy and its interaction with the print trade and venues for reading, as revealed by an 1820s trade directory

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this