Curating the Great War

Curating  the Great War explores the inception and subsequent development of  museums of the Great War and the animating spirit which lay behind them.  

The  book approaches museums of the Great War as political entities, some  more overtly than others, but all unable to escape from the politics of  the war, its profound legacies and its enduring memory. Their changing  configurations and content are explored as reflections of the social and  political context in which they exist. Curating of the Great War has  expanded beyond the walls of museum buildings, seeking public  engagement, both direct and digital, and taking in whole landscapes.  Recognizing this fact, the book examines these museums as standing at  the nexus of historiography, museology, anthropology, archaeology,  sociology and politics as well as being a lieux de mémoire.  Their multi-vocal nature makes them a compelling subject for research  and above all the book highlights that it is in these museums that we  see the most complete fusion of the material culture of conflict with  its historical, political and experiential context.

This book is an essential read for researchers of the reception of the Great War through material culture and museums.