Utopia of the North: Scandinavia’s Presence at the Educational Exhibition in London, July 1854

Abstract

This article sheds light upon the Norwegian and Swedish contributions at the Educational Exhibition in London in 1854 and how the exhibits from these countries were covered in the British contemporary press. The article suggests that the strongly positive reaction in the British press should be viewed in the light of a rising interest in Scandinavia as a tourist destination which emerged in the British Society from the mid-nineteenth century. This interest in Scandinavia as a tourist destination replaced a fascination for the North as a wild, remote and untouched location.