Harold Innis, Some Aspects of His Posthumous Reception, 1952–1981, and His Ideas of Empire and Communication.

This article examines Harold Innis in his time and for our times through a discussion of his posthumous reception in the 1950s by his colleagues: J.B. Brebner, Vincent Bladen, W.T. Easterbrook, and Donald Creighton. It then examines a period from 1976 to 1981, in a time of refection, partly at an ev...

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Published in:University of Toronto Quarterly Vol. 94; no. 4; pp. 690 - 715
Main Author: Hart, Jonathan Locke
Format: Article
Published: University of Toronto Press Nov2025
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        atl: Harold Innis, Some Aspects of His Posthumous Reception, 1952–1981, and His Ideas of Empire and Communication.
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        au: Hart, Jonathan Locke
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        Innis, Harold Adams, 1894-1952
        Communication & technology
        Media studies
        Spacetime
        Humanity
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          Innis, Harold Adams, 1894-1952
          Communication & technology
          Media studies
          Spacetime
          Humanity
      keyword:
        communication
        empire
        Harold Innis
        media
        reception
      ab: This article examines Harold Innis in his time and for our times through a discussion of his posthumous reception in the 1950s by his colleagues: J.B. Brebner, Vincent Bladen, W.T. Easterbrook, and Donald Creighton. It then examines a period from 1976 to 1981, in a time of refection, partly at an event in October 1978 marking the anniversary of Innis College (founded 1964), responses and appreciations of Innis by McLuhan and Havelock. The article then looks at William Christian and Frye on Innis about the same time (1980–82), part of the attempt to edit posthumous works of Innis, and a looking back at his work and legacy. Innis was aware of his own approach and his choice of topics early. He saw media and communication, time and space, as being at the heart of empire. In his studies of rail, fur, fish, empire, communication, technology, and more, Innis sought benefits for the individual, for humanity.
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