Gill Chitty - Böcker

John Ruskin's critical commentary on culture and society, transformative in his own time, established him as a leading critic of the 19th century. His prescient thinking resonates powerfully with today’s issues in cultural heritage conservation. This volume presents his ideas in context, key extracts from his works and future directions for his foundational ideas.Ruskin’s passionate responses to the environmental and social changes of his day chime with contemporary ideas on themes like sustainability, ethical production and environmentalism. Though widely recognised as a key figure in preservation history, his heritage work is rarely appreciated in full context and breadth. This volume presents six stimulating essays on Ruskin’s readership and reception, his transformative perceptions of heritage futures and provocative writing on cultural landscapes and the arts and crafts. Extracts from both well-known and lesser-known works accompany each chapter to reflect the distinctive vocality of his texts, from his writing on architecture and buildings, to landscape and cultural heritage. The volume offers a richer description of cultural context and meaning than usually afforded to Ruskin’s work in conservation and critical heritage studies finding its resonance and relevance.Written for an academic and professional audience in heritage studies and historic building conservation and particularly relevant for cultural heritage management, this is a core text and reference work for undergraduate and postgraduate students in history of art and architecture, heritage studies and architectural/building conservation, also central to interests of cultural historians and scholars of nineteenth-century/Victorian history and literature.

Managing Historic Sites and Buildings looks at the choices and the tensions that exist in conservation and interpretation of the heritage. Preservation and presentation are central activities, arguably means and ends in the conservation of the historic environment. But are they self-reinforcing or do they work against each other? In a series of essays which span form prehistoric sacred site to Second World war military remains, from medieval monastery to 1970s housing estate, we look at contemporary concerns and debates about the way the past is shaped, physically and metaphorically , by these two aspects of heritage management.Starting from the position that the fundamental purpose of the whole process is to communicate understanding about the human past, these essays examine how far the ideologies, strategies, tactics and techniques of preservation and presentation are mutually supportive. the success of integrated approaches that are inclusive of social, economic and green environmental concerns is understood, but the value of developing truly sustainable management for individual historic places is only just becoming evident. At the heart of such an approach lies a crucial relationship between the activity of preserving historic places and of promoting understanding of their significance.

Managing Historic Sites and Buildings looks at the choices and the tensions that exist in conservation and interpretation of the heritage. Preservation and presentation are central activities, arguably means and ends in the conservation of the historic environment. But are they self-reinforcing or do they work against each other? In a series of essays which span form prehistoric sacred site to Second World war military remains, from medieval monastery to 1970s housing estate, we look at contemporary concerns and debates about the way the past is shaped, physically and metaphorically , by these two aspects of heritage management.Starting from the position that the fundamental purpose of the whole process is to communicate understanding about the human past, these essays examine how far the ideologies, strategies, tactics and techniques of preservation and presentation are mutually supportive. the success of integrated approaches that are inclusive of social, economic and green environmental concerns is understood, but the value of developing truly sustainable management for individual historic places is only just becoming evident. At the heart of such an approach lies a crucial relationship between the activity of preserving historic places and of promoting understanding of their significance.

John Ruskin's critical commentary on culture and society, transformative in his own time, established him as a leading critic of the 19th century. His prescient thinking resonates powerfully with today’s issues in cultural heritage conservation. This volume presents his ideas in context, key extracts from his works and future directions for his foundational ideas.Ruskin’s passionate responses to the environmental and social changes of his day chime with contemporary ideas on themes like sustainability, ethical production and environmentalism. Though widely recognised as a key figure in preservation history, his heritage work is rarely appreciated in full context and breadth. This volume presents six stimulating essays on Ruskin’s readership and reception, his transformative perceptions of heritage futures and provocative writing on cultural landscapes and the arts and crafts. Extracts from both well-known and lesser-known works accompany each chapter to reflect the distinctive vocality of his texts, from his writing on architecture and buildings, to landscape and cultural heritage. The volume offers a richer description of cultural context and meaning than usually afforded to Ruskin’s work in conservation and critical heritage studies finding its resonance and relevance.Written for an academic and professional audience in heritage studies and historic building conservation and particularly relevant for cultural heritage management, this is a core text and reference work for undergraduate and postgraduate students in history of art and architecture, heritage studies and architectural/building conservation, also central to interests of cultural historians and scholars of nineteenth-century/Victorian history and literature.

Public participation and local community involvement have taken centre stage in heritage practice in recent decades. In contrast with this established position in wider heritage work, public engagement with conservation practice is less well developed. The focus here is on conservation as the practical care of material cultural heritage, with all its associated significance for local people. How can we be more successful in building capacity for local ownership and leadership of heritage conservation projects, as well as improving participative involvement in decisions and in practice?This book presents current research and practice in community-led conservation. It illustrates that outcomes of locally-led, active participation show demonstrable social, educational and personal benefits for participants. Bringing together UK and international case studies, the book combines analysis of theoretical and applied approaches, exploring the lived experiences of conservation projects in and with different communities. Responding to the need for deeper understanding of the outcomes of heritage conservation, it examines the engagement of local people and communities beyond the expert and specialist domain.Highlighting the advances in this important aspect of contemporary heritage practice, this book is a key resource for practitioners in heritage studies, conservation and heritage management. It is also relevant for the practising professional, student or university researcher in an emerging field that overarches professional and academic practice.