The first half of this research considers the origins of the prevailing approach to the conservation and presentation of ancient monuments, particularly those in the guardianship of the state. Beginning with the definition of preservation principles in the nineteenth century, the research examines the creation of a government preservation office and the introduction of preservation legislation. The second half of the research examines the changes taking place in the theoretical approaches to Cultural Heritage Management, much of which derives from experience in Australia and America, and considers this work alongside a new agenda for 'the heritage' in England where it is overtly stated that the heritage industry and conservation can be used to address social issues such as urban and rural regeneration and social exclusion. The implications of the current Government and peer reviews of conservation practice and primary legislation have also been considered in order to determine their impact on the status of the familiar preserved ruin, ideas of 'monumentality', the role of the heritage manager and the politicization of heritage. It is argued in this thesis that the preservation and presentation approach of the Office of Works and its successors has conditioned our understanding of the past, making the introduction of a new paradigm unnecessarily confrontational. This research contributes to a number of areas of knowledge. The origins and development of conservation practice in England have received relatively little analysis and the expansion of the Office of Works in the first quarter of the twentieth century has yet to be analysed in detail. Similarly British conservation practice in an Imperial context - particularly that in the Levant - has received very little critical consideration and it is believed that this research presents the first assessment of the career of George H. Jeffery, Curator of Ancient Monuments, Cyprus.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:492196 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Emerick, Keith |
| Publisher | University of York |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/9961/ |
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