Nowadays when venturing abroad an essential for most people is a travel guide, be it in the physical form of a guidebook or the electronic version on your phone or tablet. Either way they are a wealth of information about the city, country, continent you are planning on visiting. Travel guides, such as Lonely Planet and Rough Guides, have been around only since the 1970s but here in the RCSI Heritage Collections we have some that are a lot older than that!
As you can imagine travel guides and books were essential reads back in the mid to late 1800s. If you were going to travel somewhere you had no idea what it was like and most likely had never met anyone from your destination before. Remember this was a time before internet and Google! So what fabulous travel guides do we have in store for you today?
From a medical point of view, Philadelphia was a city worth visiting because it was a hub of medical learning and development. This book on the left was given to James Hughes Esquire of Dublin by his uncle Colonel Thomas P. Macmahon of Philadelphia in 1824. This book provided James with a wealth of information about the city he hoped to visit and call home. By looking at some of the chapters listed a comparison with the information provided in today's guide books can easily be seen, though the wording may be slightly different!
Topography, soil, climate, health, population
Religious Institutes
Literature, philosophy, science, the arts
Theatres and other places of amusement
Principal hotels and boarding houses
And a good travel guide would not be complete without some fold out maps!
Some of the villages, towns and areas listed by Flinn in 1888 would still be considered today as places to go and recharge your batteries with fresh sea air and medicinal waters. Listed under the title of 'Seaside Health Resorts' there are such places as Lahinch, Co. Clare, Salthill, Co. Galway, Castlerock, Co. Derry, Rostrevor, Co. Down, Bray, Co. Wicklow and Dalkey and Howth in Co. Dublin. Under the title of 'Mineral Water Health Resorts' Flinn lists Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare. This could be another reason why the Matchmaking Festival there has been so successful over the decades as there is literally something in the water!
- Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy
As you can imagine travel guides and books were essential reads back in the mid to late 1800s. If you were going to travel somewhere you had no idea what it was like and most likely had never met anyone from your destination before. Remember this was a time before internet and Google! So what fabulous travel guides do we have in store for you today?
Well, off to our first stop......Philadelphia!
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| Travel guide of Philadelphia dated 1824 |
From a medical point of view, Philadelphia was a city worth visiting because it was a hub of medical learning and development. This book on the left was given to James Hughes Esquire of Dublin by his uncle Colonel Thomas P. Macmahon of Philadelphia in 1824. This book provided James with a wealth of information about the city he hoped to visit and call home. By looking at some of the chapters listed a comparison with the information provided in today's guide books can easily be seen, though the wording may be slightly different!
Topography, soil, climate, health, population
Religious Institutes
Literature, philosophy, science, the arts
Theatres and other places of amusement
Principal hotels and boarding houses
And a good travel guide would not be complete without some fold out maps!
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| A map showing you 'principal objects of interest' |
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| A handy fold out map of the city of Philadelphia |
Having been to Philadelphia on business, now let's look at another destination for a nice relaxing sun holiday. Our second stop is.........Monaco!
Dr. T.H. Pickering published his guide to Monaco entitled Monaco - The beauty spot of the Riviera in 1882. This guide is one that you would carry with you while strolling around the streets of Monaco. It provides little snippets of information about Monaco as a health resort, the Casino, the industries of Monaco and it includes some walks and excursions. Another interesting inclusion in this guide is advertisements for various hotels, cafes, tailors, chemist and of course the essential hairdresser!
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| Pickering's guide to Monaco dated 1882 |
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| Grand Hotel Victoria, is it still there? |
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| In case of super emergency! |
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| In case of emergency |
The purse is feeling a little lighter after the last two destinations, so let's do what's all the rage now and have a staycation. Final stop...Ireland!
Our final travel guide is for those who are looking for a healthy rejuvenating getaway. It is the Irish Health Resorts & Watering Places by D. Edgar Flinn (FRCS) and was published in 1888. Flinn's contents are short, to the point and give the traveller three resort options to choose from
General aspects of the Climate in Ireland
Seaside Health Resorts
Inland Health Resorts
Mineral Water Health Resorts
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| Fold out map of Ireland from the travel guide Irish Health Resorts & Watering Places |
Some of the villages, towns and areas listed by Flinn in 1888 would still be considered today as places to go and recharge your batteries with fresh sea air and medicinal waters. Listed under the title of 'Seaside Health Resorts' there are such places as Lahinch, Co. Clare, Salthill, Co. Galway, Castlerock, Co. Derry, Rostrevor, Co. Down, Bray, Co. Wicklow and Dalkey and Howth in Co. Dublin. Under the title of 'Mineral Water Health Resorts' Flinn lists Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare. This could be another reason why the Matchmaking Festival there has been so successful over the decades as there is literally something in the water!
- Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy