History of the Book in Canada: Volume 2: 1840-1918

Vast in its scope and depth of scholarship, this second volume of the History of the Book in Canada extends the landmark research on Canadian book and print culture from 1840 to the end of the First World War. During this time, the lives of Canadians were shaped by technological innovation, political change, and settlement of the West by immigrants from Europe and migrants from eastern and central Canada and the United States. The development of steam power, telegraphy, photography, electricity, and the railroads transformed the book trades. Whether it was an urban daily, a small-town weekly, a newspaper published in one of a dozen languages, or a magazine, the periodical press reached readers across the country. The period also saw Canadian authors such as L.M. Montgomery write bestsellers that are still popular today, and marked the introduction of new voices into print, including those of Black communities, Native peoples, and the Metis led by Louis Riel. Traditional genres of print - government publications, religious books, almanacs, and schoolbooks - were joined in the mid to late nineteenth century by new forms, such as department store catalogues. Advances in Canada’s postal service carried print to a wider audience. Unchallenged by other media until the 1890s, print retained a central role in Canadian society into the new century and remained a key source of information and propaganda during the war years. This second of three volumes in the History of the Book in Canada demonstrates the same research and editorial standards established with Volume One by book history specialists from across the nation. The fascinating story of print in the lives of Canadians continues in this significant contribution to Canada’s cultural heritage.