Working with prestigious archives of contemporary photographs, the authors chart the history of Britain's farming heritage with 120 rarely seen photographs. Nearly eleven thousand years ago humans moved away from hunting and gathering and began to raise livestock and plant crops. Our nostalgia for the way the countryside had been is an enduring passion. Ultimately mechanisation began to replace more traditional forms of farming, and the Industrial Revolution was drawing more and more people away from the fields. Photography emerged at a crucial time when farming tasks could be done with a speed and on a scale previously unimaginable. Farming history has been driven by experimentation, innovation, and invention. The 19th century was one of those times marked by such change. This book looks at that pivotal period in history after which the British countryside would never be the same.Jon Sutherland and Diane Canwell have written over 200 books, their titles winning awards such as New York Libraries Best of Reference, Booklists Editor's Choice and the Portsmouth Book Award.
As East Anglians, their roots are firmly in Britain's farming and fishing heritage, both with strong family ties to these two most traditional industries. The authors have written a wide range of titles including social and military histories, they have worked closely with archives and museums in selecting photographs for these two new titles.