Bloomsbury Home
- Home
- ACADEMIC
- History
- Cultural History
- Apples and Orchards since the Eighteenth Century
Apples and Orchards since the Eighteenth Century
Material Innovation and Cultural Tradition
Apples and Orchards since the Eighteenth Century
Material Innovation and Cultural Tradition
You must sign in to add this item to your wishlist. Please sign in or create an account
Description
Showing how the history of the apple goes far beyond the orchard and into the social, cultural and technological developments of Britain and the USA, this book takes an interdisciplinary approach to reveal the importance of the apple as a symbol of both tradition and innovation.
From the 18th century in Britain, technology innovation in fruit production and orchard management resulted in new varieties of apples being cultivated and consumed, while the orchard became a representation of stability. In America orchards were contested spaces, as planting seedling apple trees allowed settlers to lay a claim to land. In this book Joanna Crosby explores how apples and orchards have reflected the social, economic and cultural landscape of their times. From the association between English apples and 'English' virtues of plain speaking, hard work and resultant high-quality produce, to practices of wassailing highlighting the effects of urbanisation and the decline of country ways and customs, Apples and Orchards from the Eighteenth Century shows how this everyday fruit provides rich insights into a time of significant social change.
Table of Contents
Part I: Growth
1. Eighteenth-century Developments of the Orchard Landscape
2. The Nineteenth Century as a Place of Change
3. The Scientific Apple: Pests, Diseases and Innovative Fruit Management
4. Shifts in the Orchard Landscape in the Twentieth Century
Part II: Consumption
5. From the Orchard to the Kitchen: Urban Apple Supply and Consumption
6. The Free Trade and 'Foreign' Apple
7. The Apple in Kitchen Culture in the UK and the USA
Part III: Cultural Engagement
8. The Progressive Apple
9. The Community Apple
Conclusion
Product details

Published | 16 Nov 2023 |
---|---|
Format | Ebook (PDF) |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 240 |
ISBN | 9781350378490 |
Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
Illustrations | 10 bw illus |
Series | Food in Modern History: Traditions and Innovations |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
-
This is a fascinating work that encompasses a great swathe of orchard history … I highly recommend Apples and Orchards Since the 18th Century to anyone who is interested in the story of orchards and fruit growing, or the significance of the apple as a cultural symbol and artistic icon.
Darren Turpin, Orchard Notes
-
[An] interesting and important contribution to the knowledge of the history of apples
The Blackberry Garden, Alison Levey
-
Crosby makes a strong case that apples are deserving of study, and this book will be of interest to scholars in a variety of fields, particularly those relating to food, social, and cultural history.
H-Net Reviews
-
A skilfully crafted book… Connections and interconnections are made and comprehensively substantiated in a text that is always engaging and readable. This book will be a revelation to any reader whose interest in the humble apple extends beyond the fruit bowl.
Agricultural History Review

ONLINE RESOURCES
Bloomsbury Collections
This book is available on Bloomsbury Collections where your library has access.