The Buried Life of Things : How Objects Made History in Nineteenth-Century Britain

Simon Goldhill offers a fresh and exciting perspective on how the Victorians used material culture to express their sense of the past in an age of progress, especially the biblical past and the past of classical antiquity. From Pompeian skulls on a writer's desk, to religious paraphernalia in churches, new photographic images of the Holy Land and the remaking of the cityscape of Jerusalem and Britain, Goldhill explores the remarkable way in which the nineteenth century's sense of history was reinvented through things. The Buried Life of Things shows how new technologies changed how history was discovered and analysed, and how material objects could flare into significance in bitter controversies, and then fade into obscurity and disregard again. This book offers a new route into understanding the Victorians' complex and often bizarre attempts to use their past to express their own modernity. Simon Goldhill Offers A Fresh And Exciting Perspective On How The Victorians Used Material Culture To Express Their Sense Of The Past In An Age Of Progress, Especially The Biblical Past And The Past Of Classical Antiquity. From Pompeian Skulls On A Writer's Desk, To Religious Paraphernalia In Churches, To New Photographic Images Of The Holy Land, To The Remaking Of The Cityscape Of Jerusalem And Britain, Goldhill Explores The Remarkable Way In Which The Nineteenth-century's Sense Of History Was Reinvented Through Things-- Machine Generated Contents Note: Introduction: The Buried Life Of Things; 1. A Writer's Things: Edward Bulwer Lytton And The Archaeological Gaze; 2. When Things Matter: Religion And The Physical World; 3. Imperial Landscapes, The Biblical Gaze, And Techniques Of The Photo Album: Capturing The Real In Jerusalem And The Holy Land; 4. Building History: A Mandate Coda; 5. Restoration; Coda: A Final Dig; Bibliography. Simon Goldhill. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 224-254) And Index. "Simon Goldhill offers a fresh and exciting perspective on how the Victorians used material culture to express their sense of the past in an age of progress, especially the biblical past and the past of classical antiquity. From Pompeian skulls on a writer's desk, to religious paraphernalia in churches, to new photographic images of the Holy Land, to the remaking of the cityscape of Jerusalem and Britain, Goldhill explores the remarkable way in which the nineteenth-century's sense of history was reinvented through things"-- Provided by publisher. Cover 1 Half-title page 3 Title page 5 Copyright page 6 Contents 7 Plates 9 Figures 10 Introduction: The buried life of things 13 1 A writer’s things Edward Bulwer Lytton and the archaeological gaze 21 2 When things matter Religion and the physical world 43 3 Imperial landscapes, the biblical gaze, and techniques of the photo album Capturing the real in Jerusalem and the Holy Land 76 4 Building history A mandate coda 121 Plates section 131 5 Restoration 158 Coda: A final dig 204 Notes 216 Bibliography 244 Index 275