Preamble: I’m taking a a break on regular posts from January through March, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t interesting things to read!

In lieu of regular content, I’m highlighting some of my favorite primary source materials from the last three years. Read a little, read a lot, skip through and look at the photos, it’s up to you! These are all online, so you don’t even have to venture outside into the cold.

Regular posts will resume in April.

This week I’m sharing a series of short pamphlets, all published before the First World War, and all having in common the goal of attracting some kind of economic investment to the Windermere Valley.

These all should be read in the context of the pre-war practice of boosterism, in which local businessmen and community leaders used their influence and connections to secure investment from outside sources and promote development projects, all under the air of optimism that their geographic region had the potential for unbridled greatness. As a general rule, boosters were more interested in attracting investment than being entirely truthful, so brace yourself for some over-the-top enthusiasm.

– Read More>