Denise Maior-Barron – författare

Marie Antoinette at Petit Trianon challenges common perceptions of the last Queen of France, appraising the role she played in relation to the events of French Revolution through an original analysis of contemporary heritage practices and visitor perceptions at her former home, the Petit Trianon. Controversy and martyrdom have placed Marie Antoinette’s image within a spectrum of cultural caricatures that range from taboo to iconic. With a foundation in critical heritage studies, this book examines the diverse range of contemporary images portraying Marie Antoinette’s historical character, showing how they affect the interpretation and perception of the Petit Trianon. By considering both producers and receivers of these cultural heritage exponents - Marie Antoinette’s historical figure and the historic house museum of the Petit Trianon - the book expands current understandings of twenty-first century cultural heritage perceptions in relation to tourism and popular culture. A useful case study for academics, researchers and postgraduate students of cultural heritage, it will also be of interest to historians, keepers of house museums and those working in the field of tourism studies.

On the importance, and economic survival, of historic houses and their gardens and parksFrom royal estates to immigrant kitchen gardens, the case studies presented here speak to the importance of gardens and parks of historic house museums in illuminating the past, navigating the present and preparing for the future. In this premier volume, site managers, owners, gardeners, scholars, and researchers explore landscape conservation and interpretation models that creatively address cultural, social, political and climate change. Situated at the intersection of landscape, art, architecture, heritage and cultural tourism, this book fills a scholarly gap in the critically important areas of authenticity, sustainability and reconciliation. Whether focusing on the grounds of a whimsical Italian villa once home to a famous clown, those of a medieval-inspired castle in Cornwall, or the sculpture garden of an Outsider artist in South Africa, to note a few, the extensive international selection reveals how gardens and parks of house museums—increasingly relevant to diverse audiences with evolving expectations—have become crucial to the educational, cultural and economic success of their sites.

On the importance, and economic survival, of historic houses and their gardens and parksFrom royal estates to immigrant kitchen gardens, the case studies presented here speak to the importance of gardens and parks of historic house museums in illuminating the past, navigating the present and preparing for the future. In this premier volume, site managers, owners, gardeners, scholars, and researchers explore landscape conservation and interpretation models that creatively address cultural, social, political and climate change. Situated at the intersection of landscape, art, architecture, heritage and cultural tourism, this book fills a scholarly gap in the critically important areas of authenticity, sustainability and reconciliation. Whether focusing on the grounds of a whimsical Italian villa once home to a famous clown, those of a medieval-inspired castle in Cornwall, or the sculpture garden of an Outsider artist in South Africa, to note a few, the extensive international selection reveals how gardens and parks of house museums—increasingly relevant to diverse audiences with evolving expectations—have become crucial to the educational, cultural and economic success of their sites.