Geographical Societies in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries: Case Studies and Comparisons

This book studies geographical societies, which were the institutional basis of geography until the early twentieth century. Although they were a global phenomenon, most research has focused on the most famous societies (such as Paris, London, and Washington/D.C.), and/or studied societies in isolation from each other. By contrast, our volume also pays attention to societies in less prominent countries and cities, and identifies connections and draws comparisons between various societies within and across national and imperial borders. Moreover, we discuss the societies' role in the professionalisation of geography, and embed them in the historical contexts of nationalism, imperialism, and colonialism. We thus demonstrate the potential geographical societies and their journals still hold for fresh research, and we invite readers to cross the disciplinary boundaries between geography and history. The volume primarily addresses (historical) geographers as well as historians of geography, science, exploration, nation-states, and empires.