Fumifugium: Now Reissued as an Old Ashmolean Reprint in the Year of the Refacing of the Old Ashmolean Museum

by John Evelyn

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Genres: History

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1661

About the author

John Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.

Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time (he witnessed the deaths of Charles I and Oliver Cromwell, the last Great Plague of London, and the Great Fire of London in 1666). Over the years, Evelyn’s Diary has been over-shadowed by Pepys's chronicles of 17th-century life. Evelyn and Pepys corresponded frequently and much of this correspondence has been preserved.

Reviews

[Yani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante a más no poder. John Evelyn no sólo presentó proyectos para reconstruir Londres después del gran incendio de 1666, sino que antes también se mostró preocupado por la presencia del humo de carbón en la ciudad. Fue como leer un libro ecologista de 1661 (el término "ecologista" lo uso con pinzas, porque en esa época el cuidado del medio ambiente no se entendía como tal). Evelyn explica los efectos nocivos de la nube de humo en la salud de los habitantes y hasta habla de cuestiones estéticas (el lugar se ve feo, el polvo se pegaba en los vestidos y las pieles de las damas, etcétera), para luego proponer como solución la plantación estratégica de árboles y de plantas.

En fin, me resultó un libro muy enriquecedor porque no tenía idea de que en esos tiempos ya habían dado una voz de alarma sobre esta clase de problemas. La escritura del panfleto es muy amena (algunos pasajes hasta me parecieron graciosos) y no es complicada porque le falta teorización (es comprensible). Recomendable para curiosos de la historia y del medio ambiente.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really crazy this was written in 1661! Interesting to see what was known about air pollution’s impacts on health then. The parallels to modern day are also very interesting.

[Vincent D · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there's any piece of 17th century literature that highlights problems with London that echo into today's context, it's this short essay by John Evelyn. A great read for those interested in how early environmentalist thought responded to cityscapes. Note the descriptions of "smoake" that seems hauntingly familiar to our "smog" that encapsulates cities all across the spectrum, both large and small. Although Evelyn worries about the potential effects of smog on the aesthetics and museums of London, in between the lines is a cautionary tale of pollution from the urban sphere damaging the outlying suburbs.