Lecture 5. The Coffeehouse, 1800-1950

Lecture 5 begins with a brief review of colonial production and trade of coffee in the mid-18th century. We will first focus on the emergence of coffeehouses as self-contained structures—first in private gardens, and then in public ones— in the late 18th century/early 19th centuries. The second part examines urban coffeehouses in the same period. We examine how coffeehouses became sites of urban leisure for European bourgeoisie during the first half of the 19th century. The third part examines the ways in which the Industrial Revolution affected the architecture of coffeehouses. In the fourth part, we will consider coffeehouses as integral components of the expansion and reconstruction of major European cities after 1850. This will be followed by an analysis of the evolution of furniture designs, and its impact on both the interior space and the use patterns of coffeehouses. Finally, the last part explores some examples of coffeehouses in the late 19th/early 20th century.


supporting documents:

Handout

Lecture Notes