A Visual History Of Caravans

This book is a visual and informative look at the heritage of the touring caravan covering over a 100 years of this now very popular form of leisure. The book witnesses the UK being the inventor, developer and major producer of touring caravans. Images; (many from the Authors own personal archive) shows how caravan interior/exterior design has evolved and has been influenced by domestic trends through the decades. With nostalgic images the book brings to life this often forgotten yet important aspect of the modern touring caravan. Covering imported caravans as well as UK manufactured models shows just how continental tastes differ from UK buyers. The touring caravan is a modern and sophisticated leisure vehicle that has evolved since the first commercial built Eccles brand caravan back in 1919. A then rich mans hobby, it became more affordable by the 1930’s and this was made possible with more modern production techniques. The design of the caravan emerged from a basic box like profile influenced by the 1800’s horse drawn gypsy caravan that became a fashionable form of holiday with the gentry. Dr Gordon Stables a retired Naval Officer influenced this idea with his specially built horse drawn caravan “The Wanderer” – now on show at the Broadway Caravan & Motorhome Club Site. Stables wrote of his adventures and caravanning in a sense had begun. The book contains many unpublished and rare images which also features cars from the period too. Andrew writes for Practical Motorhome, Practical Caravan and Park Home and Holiday Caravan Magazine among others and attends all major related shows.

From the original horse-drawn caravan to the sophisticated and well-appointed luxury leisure vehicle we know today, this book follows the dynamic evolution of the touring caravan over the last century. Using a selection of images from his archive, expert Andrew Jenkinson reveals how technical advances as well as interior design revolutionised the touring caravan in the United Kingdom, and how caravanning became a culture and a lifestyle choice. Covering well-known brands such as Eccles, Sprite, Swift and Bailey, this lively and informative book will appeal to caravan enthusiasts and social historians alike, and rekindle happy memories for anyone who has holidayed in a touring caravan.

This book is a fascinating look at the history of human habitats and cities. Readers will gain insight into an area of history often overlooked. The book covers different types of dwellings and cities from ancient times, the Middle and Modern Ages, and the contemporary age. It takes a close look at the first settlements such as the Sumerian house and the Roman insula, the Mongolian yurt, and ancient cities such as those of Egypt and megacities of today. Detailed illustrations bring the reader into the heart of the subject matter.

Issued in conjunction with the exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time, held January 26, 2019-July 21, 2019, Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

Caravanning is without doubt the essence of the quintessential British holiday. Many readers will have enjoyed their first taste of touring in their formative years, as their parents travelled around the British Isles in search of sun, sightseeing and relaxation. For some, the experience will have been, perhaps, less than memorable but for the majority it will have ignited a lifelong love affair with the “box on wheels”. Whatever your particular story, it can be traced back to The Wanderer, the world’s first leisure touring caravan, commissioned by Dr William Gordon Stables in the mid 1880s. This Scottish-born doctor and author believed that the outdoor lifestyle offered by caravanning would bring health benefits and who can argue with his foresight? Come and join us on a nostalgic journey as we take a look at caravanning and help us celebrate 125 years of this addictive pastime.