Public History : reinventing the past
Memorial to animals working on the Home Front, National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas
Public History in Britain today: a country obsessed with reinventions of the past
This article discusses different ways in which the past is being reinvented in Britain not least in the period in which the 2010 coalition government drew particular analogies with the past.It also looks at different examples of people making history, including the resurgence of the Durham Miners’ gala, metal detection and the way in which the National Memorial Arboretum has shifted its emphasis from its early years. It argues that, unsurprisingly, some past events are wanted to be remembered but others, such as slavery, are more likely to be forgotten. It concludes with Dave Reeves’ comment that ‘history is something you create rather than “being something that is done to you”.’
‘Public History in Britain today: a country obsessed with reinventions of the past’ Hard Times no 88 Herbst (Winter) 2010 (Germany) Article is in English but the journal is bilingual In English and German
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