Comments on: H. G. Wells http://airminded.org/2007/01/15/h-g-wells/ Airpower and British society, 1908-1941 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:53:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2007/01/15/h-g-wells/#comment-34945 Brett Holman Wed, 17 Jan 2007 03:19:51 +0000 http://airminded.org/2007/01/15/h-g-wells/#comment-34945 There was definitely greater deference to the privacy of public figures, and you're right that there weren't so many telephones around ... But Marwick (in <em>A History of the Modern British Isles, 1914-1999</em>) gives figures for the number of private phone line rentals: in 1937 these just exceeded a million for the first time. I think 10 million, in round figures, is close enough for the number of British househoulds? So, all else being equal, around 1 in every 10 British nutters had access to a phone at this time :) There were also 1500 public telephone kiosks in London and 12000 nationwide (according to <a href="http://elettra.co.uk/phonebox/variants.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>) so there was ample opportunity for any nutter who wanted to harangue HG (and who could afford the cost of a call) to do so. So I'd say it had more to do with social conventions. The <a href="http://airminded.org/biographies/h-g-wells/" rel="nofollow"><em>Who's Who</em></a> entry was clearly up-to-date as of early 1937 (or maybe late 1936): it doesn't list any of the books published in 1937 (including <em>Star Begotten</em> one of his last SF novels), but it does list two films for 1937 which were never actually made as far as I know (<em>The Food of the Gods</em> and <em>The New Faust</em>). So anyway, it was a long time after <em>An Outline of History</em> was published (1920). There was definitely greater deference to the privacy of public figures, and you’re right that there weren’t so many telephones around … But Marwick (in A History of the Modern British Isles, 1914-1999) gives figures for the number of private phone line rentals: in 1937 these just exceeded a million for the first time. I think 10 million, in round figures, is close enough for the number of British househoulds? So, all else being equal, around 1 in every 10 British nutters had access to a phone at this time :) There were also 1500 public telephone kiosks in London and 12000 nationwide (according to here) so there was ample opportunity for any nutter who wanted to harangue HG (and who could afford the cost of a call) to do so. So I’d say it had more to do with social conventions.

The Who’s Who entry was clearly up-to-date as of early 1937 (or maybe late 1936): it doesn’t list any of the books published in 1937 (including Star Begotten one of his last SF novels), but it does list two films for 1937 which were never actually made as far as I know (The Food of the Gods and The New Faust). So anyway, it was a long time after An Outline of History was published (1920).

]]> By: Dan http://airminded.org/2007/01/15/h-g-wells/#comment-34819 Dan Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:30:52 +0000 http://airminded.org/2007/01/15/h-g-wells/#comment-34819 But then, very few British people had a phone for a long time - it was one of the consumer goods which lagged behind in terms of uptake into the late 1960s I think. Given a different cultural template, I suspect that not many of the 'celebrities' who gave out their phone numbers got rung up by nutters. You don't say when Wells composed/revised the WW entry to which you refer. Would that account for the explanation of the Outline of History? But then, very few British people had a phone for a long time - it was one of the consumer goods which lagged behind in terms of uptake into the late 1960s I think. Given a different cultural template, I suspect that not many of the ‘celebrities’ who gave out their phone numbers got rung up by nutters. You don’t say when Wells composed/revised the WW entry to which you refer. Would that account for the explanation of the Outline of History?

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2007/01/15/h-g-wells/#comment-34597 Brett Holman Tue, 16 Jan 2007 05:37:20 +0000 http://airminded.org/2007/01/15/h-g-wells/#comment-34597 Sounds like what he wanted was a Blogger account! Sounds like what he wanted was a Blogger account!

]]> By: Alan Allport http://airminded.org/2007/01/15/h-g-wells/#comment-34483 Alan Allport Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:10:12 +0000 http://airminded.org/2007/01/15/h-g-wells/#comment-34483 <i>I find it amusing that such a world-famous figure would list his telephone number (Paddington 6204), not to mention his address (13 Hanover Terrace, Regents Park, N.W.1). Did he not get pestered by well-wishers, celebrity-seekers and out-and-out nutters? Maybe he had a secretary to answer the phone.</i> George Orwell gave out his address in <i>Partisan Review</i> and actually encouraged its readers to write to him! I find it amusing that such a world-famous figure would list his telephone number (Paddington 6204), not to mention his address (13 Hanover Terrace, Regents Park, N.W.1). Did he not get pestered by well-wishers, celebrity-seekers and out-and-out nutters? Maybe he had a secretary to answer the phone.

George Orwell gave out his address in Partisan Review and actually encouraged its readers to write to him!

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