Travels in Town

Detailed, wide-ranging, and reflective, James Grant's two-volume Travels in Town (1839) describes life in early Victorian London.

James Grant was an influential early Victorian journalist and newspaper editor. He published two books about London in 1838, and this two-volume work from 1839 was intended as a sequel. It reflects upon places, events, and people, mixing general observations and intricate detail. Volume 1 focuses on central London.Born in 1802 in Elgin, James Grant first established himself as a reporter and then as a leading newspaper editor in Victorian London, heading the Morning Chronicle for two decades before moving on to the Christian Standard. His 1839 Travels in Town was designed as a companion piece to his earlier reflections on London, The Great Metropolis (1838) and Sketches in London (1838). This two-volume work reflects Grant's enthusiasm for 'this modern Babylon' and his lively interest in the intricacies of everyday life there. Volume 1 focuses on central London, observing major streets (including Downing Street) and the British Museum. Interweaving general descriptions with specific local information, Grant even provides his readers with details of the famous museum reading room and how to access its treasures.