Perceptions of Pollution: Early Industrialisation in Birmingham and the Black Country

In the 18th and early 19th century industrialisation was synonymous with progress - its damaging effects weren’t widely understood until much later in the 19th and 20th centuries. But West Midlands poet Anna Seward was an early critic of the impact of industry on our landscape and our air. Over 100 years ago she was challenging accepted narratives by using the term pollution in the way we understand it today. In this new ‪@historywm‬film, Dr Malcolm Dick, Director of the Centre for West Midlands History, explores the different ways that writers, artists and observers portrayed the industrial revolution and considers their attitudes to economic change.

[@rogerb11000]

I really enjoyed this video. Thank you for making it. I was born in Birmingham in 1942. My family immigrated to Australia when I was eight. I have been back many times and remain curious about my place of birth, your video and KZbin channel is of great interest to me …thank you.

[@yvonnefarrell1029]

It would appear to me that the name of Anna Seward should be as well known as that of Rachel Carson. The irony that one needed and still needs some kind of industrialization in order to produce that on which we depend is still a reality. The Rev Fred Rogers, known here in the US as "MisterRogers", and a children's educator and entertainer, grew up in Latrobe PA, where his families on both sides operated brick and other factories, which not only allowed for the development of housing and other buildings in the Pittsburgh PA, area, but produced the pollution which aggravated his childhood asthma. Irony of ironies. Thank you for this video.

[@Rachel-tr8mg]

Anna Seward, a proto-Romantic poet?

[@MsSonnencreme]

I am writing on Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a metaphor for industrialisation, so this was very helpful