342pp. Indexed. Gentle shelfwear to laminated card covers. In 1850, Britain was the most prosperous and industrially advanced nation in the world. Some believed she would remain so forever, but poverty was rampant and, it was argued, factory jobs dehumanizing. The supports of Ruskin contended that the of new mechanical techniques debased art, while the contemporary culture was dominated by religion and morality. This collection of contemporary writings reflection and illuminate such concerns.