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History and Heritage

Consuming the Past in Contemporary Culture

Proceedings of the interdisciplinary conference, University of York 1996

Edited by John Arnold, Kate Davies and Simon Ditchfield

Hardback £39.00 $78.00

Publication date 1998

272 pages

ISBN 978 1 873394 28 1

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Just what is it that we want from the past? History offers us true stories about the past; heritage sells or provides us with the past we appear to desire. The dividing line between history and heritage is, however, far from clear.

This collection of papers addresses the division between history and heritage by looking at the ways in which we make use of the past, the way we consume our yesterdays. Looking at a wide variety of fields, including architectural history, museums, films, novels and politics, the authors examine the ways in which the past is invoked in contemporary culture, and question the politics of drawing upon ‘history’ in present-day practices. In topics ranging from Braveheart to Princess Diana, the Piltdown Man to the National History Curriculum, war memorials to stately homes, History and Heritage explores the presence of the past in our lives, and asks, how, and to what end, are we using the idea of the past? Who is consuming the past and why?

Contents:

The Popular Past v Making use of prehistory: marratives of human evolution and the Natural History Museum Peter Crawley v Vikings and Donald Duck Alex Service v Anarchy and order: reinventing the Medieval in contemporary popular narrative Harry Ziegler v Nasty histories: Medievalism and horror John Arnold vThe media iconicity of Diana, Princess of Wales Jude Davies v The Personal Past v Your granny had one of those! How visitors use museum collections Christine Johnstone v Monuments and memory: the Great War Angela Gaffney v Psychoanalysis and Marxism in the making of self: memory vs. history Allegra Madgwick v ‘We wish he had been a better poet and a manlier fellow...’: Frederick Furnivall’s Thomas Hoccleve Antonia Ward v The Political Past v Medievalism and the ideology of industrialism: representations of the Middle Ages in French illustrated magazines of the July Monarchy Michael Glencross v Braveheart: more than just pulp fiction? Fiona Watson v The hungriest narrative: devouring Mother Ireland Kathy Cremin v In search of Englishness; in search of votes Sophie Breese v Stewardship, sanctimony and selfishness – a heritage paradox David Lowenthal v The Professional Past v Sir Charles Peers and after: from frozen monuments to fluid andscapes Keith Emerick v Transports of delight? Making and consuming histories at the National Railway Museum Colin Divall Issues of national identity and the school curriculum in Scotland Sydney Wood v Contesting the past, constructing the future: history, identity and politics in schools Robert Phillips v Truth, ethics and imagination: thoughts on the purpose of history David Andress.

The editors:

John Arnold has studied and taught at the Centre for Medieval Studies, and the Department of History at the University of York. He now lectures in the School of History at the University of East Anglia. His future projects include publication on medieval and contemporary topics, and the philosophy of history.

Kate Davies has taught at the University of Sheffield and at York since 1999. She specialises in American and British women's writing, and the literature of the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Atlantic.

Simon Ditchfield is a Reader in the History Department at the University of York. His research interests all relate to perceptions and uses of the past in previous societies.

From the reviews:

...can be recommended as an ideal introduction for Building conservation practitioners to the broader issues and philosophies generated by the heritage at large.

RICS Conservation Journal

Donhead Publishing 2010