The Digital Encyclopedia of British Sociability in the Long Eighteenth Century

Explore the wide range of topics related to British sociability from 1650 to 1850 and discover how the circulation of models of sociability shaped European and colonial societies.

The Project

An innovative tool and an interdisciplinary approach

  • An open-access digital encyclopedia with a multi-modal search engine
  • An international and interdisciplinary project led by the GIS Sociabilités / Sociability since 2017
  • An EU-funded project (Horizon 2020-MSCA-RISE) since 2019, promoting staff exchange and intersectoral collaborations
  • A digital humanities project managed by an experienced editorial team
  • Encyclopedia entries written in English or French by eighteenth-century scholars in various fields (history, art history, literature, philosophy, material culture, linguistics ...) and reviewed by a dedicated committee
  • A complementary anthology of texts related to various aspects of sociability and connected to the entries

Find out more

Bringing academic research on eighteenth-century sociability to a wider audience

  • Explore the wide range of topics related to British Sociability from 1650 to 1850 and learn about the circulation of models of sociability that shaped European and colonial societies.
  • Discover the collaborative work between academic researchers on primary source material in their respective fields of expertise
  • Browse through 200 entries enriched with illustrations, hyperlinks, footnotes and further reading suggestions
  • Search by keywords, by alphabetical order or by categories (People, Places, Practices, Concepts, Objects) and sub-categories
  • Navigate easily through a dynamic and updatable resource
  • Share content with online media and social networks

Latest entries

Places

Hôtel d'Angleterre at Calais (The)

SCHMID Susanne
The Hôtel d'Angleterre at Calais with its proprietor Monsieur Dessein, which appears at the beginning of Laurence Sterne's Sentimental Journey (1768), is by no means a fictitious space but was a well-known institution, popular among English travellers to the continent, who praised the quality of accommodation, architecture, and service.

Snuffbox

ALAYRAC-FIELDING Vanessa
Taking snuff became a sophisticated social ritual in the 18th century. Snuff, a form of powdered tobacco, was contained and carried in specific boxes which came in various shapes and designs and ranged from luxurious objets d’art to more affordable artefacts.
Objects Concepts Practices
Places

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

PETROFF Florence
A circle of amateur antiquarians established the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1780 to lay the foundation of a museum displaying Scottish and world cultural heritage. It would rapidly establish a wide network of Fellows, almost exclusively masculine, Honorary Fellows, and donors across Scotland, Britain, and Europe.

Anthology

Database of primary sources. New front page soon...

more

Latest News

CFP: Consentir, Refuser, Céder : Spectres de la Conquête à la Restauration (1660-1714)

November 15th 2023
Colloque co-organisé IRCL (Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3) - LARCA (Université Paris Cité) Sous l'égide de la Société d'Études Anglo-Américaines des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles (SEAA 17-18) Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, salle des colloques 2, Site Saint Charles 1, Montpellier, 14 juin 2024

CFP: “Eating or not Eating Animals. Sociability and Ethics around the Table”

March 15th 2024
Study day supported by the GIS Sociabilités/ Sociability and organised by Florence Magnot-Ogilvy (Laboratoire CELLAM, Rennes 2) and Sophie Mesplède (Laboratoire ACE, Rennes 2) Thursday 6 June 2024 at the Université Rennes 2

GIS SOCIABILITES MASTER'S THESIS PRIZE 2023

January 31st 2024
4th edition of the GIS Sociabilités MA Thesis Prize - Deadline for submission: 31 January 2024