Interesting Op-ed Piece on HC in India November 8, 2009
Posted by history in : Uncategorized , add a commentI found this opinion editorial from the Hindu really interesting. I especially liked the conclusion:
“Increasing funding and building institutions are the relatively easy part. The real challenge is to redefine international approaches to address local contexts. Conservation cannot limit itself to enhancing the art-historical value of the heritage structures, which international charters perhaps overemphasise. The effort has to be broad-based: it must also serve as a means to improving the quality of life in the area where the heritage structures are located. The first task therefore is to integrate conservation efforts with sound development plans that take care of people living in the heritage vicinity. Unlike in western countries, many traditional building crafts survive in India, and conservation practices offer an avenue to support them. This has been acknowledged by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage charter for conservation but is yet to receive substantial state support. More strength for heritage conservation can be mobilised by aligning it with the green building movement. Heritage structures are essentially eco-friendly and conservation could become a vital part of the sustainable building practices campaign in future.”
Couldn’t of said it better myself.
World Monuments Fund Watch List 2010 October 10, 2009
Posted by history in : Uncategorized , add a commentThe World Monuments Fund recently announced its Watch List for 2010. Established in 1996, the Watch List, as described on their Web site, focuses global attention on “cultural heritage sites around the world that are facing such dangers and that illuminate current issues in the field of heritage preservation.”
“Ranging from the famous (Machu Picchu, Peru) and remote (Phajoding, a monastery high in the mountains of Bhutan), to the unexpected (Merritt Parkway, Connecticut, U.S.) and little-known (desert castles of ancient Khorezm, Uzbekistan), the 2010 Watch tells compelling stories of human aspiration, imagination, and adaptation.”
The complete list can be found here.
Call for Abstracts-ICOMOS International October 3, 2009
Posted by history in : Call for Papers, Conferernces and Symposia, International , 1 comment so farCALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR PAPER AND POSTERS FOR THE 13th Annual US/ICOMOS International Symposium
May 20-22, 2010 in Washington , DC AT WHAT COST?
Social and Economic Pressures and the Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites
The 13th Annual US ICOMOS International Symposium will focus on the increasingly complex relationships between cultural heritage and the world’s market economies. It will look at real world problems and practical solutions through formal presentations, round tables and group discussions.
Looting, mass tourism, and development pressures are some of the market forces now posing a direct challenge to traditional heritage and historic preservation practices and priorities. In both the public and private sectors, heritage sites and districts are now increasingly seen as potential engines of local development and a possible source of income and social stability for communities. How can these positive and negative economic pressures be reconciled? Which economic and social strategies are most effective in today’s financial environment? What role can and should heritage and historic preservation professionals play? The 2010 US/ICOMOS Symposium will examine new tools and approaches that can help to integrate cultural heritage into social and economic agendas, while still protecting its significance and integrity. Throughout the Symposium, the dialogue between participants and presenters will offer the opportunity to understand, compare and assess practices for effective and sustainable strategies.
Specifically, the symposium sessions will cover the following themes: · Cultural heritage - its contribution to the development of sustainable communities and the legal and legislative perspectives from the United States and abroad - The most traditional role of heritage in economic development is as a tourist attraction. This arrangement, however, is not always desirable or possible. It is impractical in many places and has proven to be unsustainable in other instances. Nations and communities have found new ways to use heritage in a sustainable environment. These sessions will feature innovative heritage initiatives and case studies that have obtained the economic and social benefits of heritage for contemporary communities. · Looting, illicit traffic in cultural property, and their impact on cultural heritage sites - Heritage travel has been marketed as an exciting adventure in the popular media, which often portrays archaeological sites as a trove of treasures for collectors and at times glamorizes the looting of sites and encourages the illicit traffic of cultural objects. As a driver of tourism and a source of precious objects, heritage sites have been misused and exploited, causing great damage to these unique places and trivializing the general understanding of its significance. The objective of these sessi ons is to identify programs, activities and new ideas that can be effective in discouraging the looting of archaeological sites, curbing illicit traffic and promoting the sustainable management of sites.
- The role of heritage administrators and professionals: Legal and legislative perspectives from the United States and abroad - The leadership of state, federal, and international organizations in protecting cultural heritage becomes critical in an environment dominated by market economics. Their authority, however, must be exercised wisely. The preservation objective has to be considered in the context of the welfare of society, both present and future. Around the globe new governmental policies and regulations seek sustainability, including many that affect cultural heritage. These sessions will present examples of successful legislative approaches and innovative administrative, practices.
Abstracts for proposed poster presentations and research papers (20 minutes) on these themes will be accepted until November 13, 2009. Authors whose papers or posters are selected will be notified mid January 2010. Final written and electronic papers must be received by US ICOMOS one month prior to the Symposium.
Instructions for Submitting an Abstract (please read carefully)
§ Abstracts must be received in US/ICOMOS by Friday, November 13, 2009.
§ Maximum text of 250 words in English. Please indicate whether the submission is for a paper or a poster.
§ US/ICOMOS will accept electronic (Microsoft Word or Adobe pdf files only) abstracts sent by email to don.jones@usicomos.org
§ The page with the abstracts must contain AT THE TOP the title of the proposed paper, the name of the author(s), and contact information (institutional affiliation, mailing address, phone number and email address).
A committee of distinguished preservationists will evaluate all abstracts. Authors selected for paper presentations will be notified by mid-January 2010.
Note: In previous years, US/ICOMOS has been able to secure grants and monetary contributions to help defray travel, lodging, and registration costs for international speakers selected to present papers. In the changed financial environment of today, US/ICOMOS cannot guarantee that such funding will be available in 2010. Sent by - US/ICOMOS
(United States National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites) 401 F Street, NW, Suite 331 Washington, DC 20001 Ph 202-842-1866 Fax 202-842-1861 www.usicomos.org.
Historic Preservation in St. Petersburg and other matters August 11, 2009
Posted by history in : Uncategorized , add a commentI have been lucky enough to spend much of the past month traveling in Asia, I have visited World Heritage Sites in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. One thing that is clear from my travels, people want to see old stuff. They will travel, they will pay much, they will endure long bus rides, dubious food, unpleasant temperatures and a host of other trials some small, some not to get there (wherever that may be). Watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat, wandering the streets of Luang Prabang, or traipsing through the ruins of My Son (near Hoi An, Vietnam) and seeing busloads of tourists at each site, there is little doubt that people feel compelled to connect to our collective past by actually seeing it, no mere photo will suffice.
I could write pages on the myriad challenges of heritage tourism but that’s not what this post is about. This morning, perusing my Google news alerts, I came across this commentary by Edmund Harris, on the perilous sitation of heritage conservation in St. Petersburg that left me wanting to pound my head on the desk and tear my hair and shout “WHY IS IT STILL SO DIFFICULT!!!” It’s not like historic preservation/heritage conservation, whatever you want to call it is “NEW! TRENDY!” some crazy unkown economic engine that no one knows how it will run (donkey cart or Porshe?). I am not an economist but from my experience historic preservation is usually somewhere in between, luckily I just picked up (downloaded actually a copy of The Heritage Game by Alan Peacock and Idle Rizzo which, thus far, seems like it will be a really interesting read. Here is the blurb from the publisher, Oxford University Press:
A notable feature in cultural life is the growing demand to preserve and promote public access to historical buildings and sites, and artistic treasures of the past. Governments are increasingly involved in financing and regulating private attempts to meet this growing demand as well as extending their own provision of these treasures in state and locally owned museums and galleries. These developments raise important issues about the scope, content, and relevance of heritage policies in today’s world. Written by two leading figures in the field of cultural economics, this authoritative book focuses on the impact of economic analysis on the formulation and implementation of heritage policy.
Pick up your copy today!
International Preservation Trades Workshop in Leadville August 11, 2009
Posted by history in : Uncategorized , add a commentRegister Now for the International Preservation Trades Workshop and International Trades Education Symposium
August 25-29, 2009 - Leadville, Colorado
Historic preservation experts and enthusiasts from across the United States and around the world will gather in Leadville, Colorado this summer for two events held by the Preservation Trades Network (PTN) in partnership with the Colorado Mountain College Historic Preservation program. The college’s expanding preservation program, which was started two years ago, will host the 13th annual International Preservation Trades Workshop (IPTW) and the third biannual International Trades Education Symposium (ITES) Aug. 25-29. The host partners for IPTW-ITES 2009 include the University of Colorado-Denver College of Architecture and Planning and the Colorado Historical Society State Historical Fund.
The Preservation Trades Network (PTN) is a 501(c)3 non-profit membership organization founded to provide education, networking and outreach for the traditional building trades. The International Preservation Trades Workshop is the only annual event in North American which brings the foremost practitioners of the traditional trades together in a single venue dedicated to sharing the skills and knowledge of all of the trades employed in conservation of the built environment. Since 1997, IPTWs have been held in Maryland, New York, Alabama, West Virginia, Ohio, Louisiana and Vermont. Previous International Trades Education Symposia have taken place in St. Clairsville, Ohio in 2005, and Tällberg, Sweden in 2007.
A broad range of tradespeople from the US and abroad, including stone carvers, log builders, timber framers, plasterers, painters, carpenters, blacksmiths and more, will demonstrate their trades. Workshops, symposium sessions and demonstrations of preservation techniques will take place throughout and near Leadville: at the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, and at the college’s Timberline Campus and historic Hayden Ranch. Pre-conference workshops on cemetery preservation, masonry cleaning and log structures restoration will also be held.
The Hayden Ranch, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is an intact example of a high country ranch and agricultural operation, which operated from 1872 to 1947. Colorado Mountain College purchased the ranch for use as a laboratory, woodworking shop and classroom space for students in the preservation trades program.
For details and registration visit: www.IPTW.org
Greetings from Hoi An, Vietnam. July 31, 2009
Posted by history in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farPerhaps you have noticed the paucity of postings this summer. My apologies, I confess that I have been otherwise occupied visiting World Heritage Sites in Asia (there are quite a few). I will be spending the next few days in Hoi An, Vietnam, which was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1999. To learn more, click here.
Ireland to Host Major Global Gathering of National Trusts July 26, 2009
Posted by history in : Uncategorized , add a commentFocus will be ‘Heritage of the World in Trust: Conservation in a Changing Climate’
July 24, 2009 - An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland and the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) have announced that the 13th International Conference of National Trusts will be held in Dublin from 13th - 17th September.
The theme for this global conference is ‘Heritage of the World in Trust: Conservation in a Changing Climate’. It will be attended by over 300 representatives from heritage trust organisations around the world, in addition to climate change experts, conservationists and academics. A declaration will emerge from the conference which will - it is envisaged - be of significant import to the forthcoming UN Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change.
Unveiling the conference programme, An Taisce’s recently inaugurated Honorary President, Professor John Sweeney, said, ‘Protecting our heritage - comprising our buildings, landscapes and native species - requires all citizens to take part in acts of conservation. By this, we mean taking small steps like retro-fitting older buildings; holidaying at home, or spending a morning helping to clean up a beach.
‘The conference programme will look at examples of best practice of citizen involvement in conservation. A particular focus will be on ensuring that the next generation becomes a champion of conservation.’
Simon R. Molesworth, Chairman of INTO, said ‘National Trusts, with their worldwide portfolio of properties and their commitment to involving people in conservation, share the responsibility of maintaining our global heritage (natural and built) for future generations.
‘Many of us believe that National Trusts can set the standards for sustainable property custodianship, ensuring we have a neutral carbon footprint: we can be responsible exemplars in a world facing great change. How we respond to this new world order will vary from country to country as climate change manifests itself in differing ways around the globe.’
INTO is a network of National Trusts and similar organisations from around the world, united by their common interest in the conservation and enjoyment of our shared heritage - built and natural, tangible and intangible. For thirty years they have been coming together at the biennial International Conference of National Trusts in a spirit of comradeship to share experience, build partnerships and seek solutions to common problems.
Delegates will consider economic, social and political as well as environmental change. Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the National Trust for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said ‘The current economic crisis offers challenges but also opportunities for the heritage movement. We need, collectively, to encourage everyone to think differently about their relationship with the natural and built environment, and to help build a more sustainable future. In effect, we need to help people to recalibrate their values.’
Over the course of the five-day conference, which will be held in Dublin Castle, delegates will discuss topics ranging from how we look after historic sites in light of challenges caused by climate change to sustainable tourism and energy efficiency. Community participation in conservation and engaging the public through social networking will also feature on the conference programme.
Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States and a featured speaker at the Dublin conference, said ‘Historic preservation and heritage conservation should be an important component of any effort to promote sustainable development. The conservation and improvement of our existing built resources, including re-use of historic and older buildings, greening the existing building stock, and reinvestment in older and historic communities, is crucial to combating climate change. We look forward to working together in Dublin with our fellow National Trusts from around the globe on this pivotal issue facing the citizens of the world.’
Mr Molesworth added ‘We have much to learn from each other and the opportunity to participate in the international exchange of experience and ideas which INTO offers through both membership and attendance at the 13th International Conference of National Trusts is our shared responsibility. Collectively by the sharing of knowledge, National Trusts can assist each other to do their job better by preparing for the future.’
Papers will be delivered by representatives of the worldwide National Trust movement alongside world experts on climate change - an A to Z of heritage trusts, from Australia, Bangladesh and China, through Italy, Jersey and Korea to Taiwan, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Nobel laureate Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri and Professor John Sweeney will address the conference on the importance of conservation in climate change strategies. Dr. Mary Robinson, Director of Realising Rights, will deliver a paper on the impact of climate change on human rights; Richard Moe, President of the US National Trust for Historic Preservation will deliver a paper on conserving and improving our existing built resources to combat climate change; while Dame Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the UK National Trust, will present on how the current economic climate offers challenges and opportunities for the heritage movement. The conference will be officially opened by the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley TD.
NAPC: Call for Session Topics July 25, 2009
Posted by history in : Uncategorized , add a commentNational Commission Forum 2010
Grand Rapids Rendezvous!
Call for Session Topics and Speakers!
Do you have an idea for a terrific Forum session that is just begging to be done, or know the perfect person to speak at forum; but you don’t know who to tell? Well, now is your chance!
NAPC needs your suggestions for session topics and speakers for Forum 2010 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 29 - August 1, 2010. Forum 2010 is NAPC’s seventh biennial National Commission Forum and promises to be better than ever; so send us your suggestions and help make it happen! Forum content is determined by NAPC’s constituents, the people like you who make preservation happen every day.
Past topics have included all issues facing local preservation commissions: commissioner ethics, creative solutions to thorny problems, the role of the preservation commissioner, “doing more with less,” dealing with difficult people, rural districts, innovative design review, legal issues, public participation and creative partnerships, incentives, and preservation planning. The possibilities are endless, but we don’t know what they are unless you tell us.
We are particularly interested in session topics and speaker suggestions that reflect the diversity of NAPC’s members and commissions and the dynamic, challenging, and fun atmosphere that have characterized the past four Forums. Session topics and speaker suggestions are always welcome, but we’d like to hear from you soon as we begin developing the Forum content.
Send your suggestions or proposals to this email address: napc@uga.edu. If proposing a session as opposed to suggesting a topic, please include a 250 - 500 word description. You may also mail suggestions/proposals to:
NAPC Forum 2010
P.O. Box 1605
Athens, GA 30603
We look forward to hearing from you!
Heritage Conservation in India June 6, 2009
Posted by history in : Uncategorized , add a commentIf you caught yesterday’s post, you might be interested in learning more about heritage conservation in India. Here are a few links to help you get started:
- The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
- UNESCO List of Word Heritage Sites in India
- “US Historic Preservation Assistance to India” by Will Champman (from CRM Magazine).
Fines for Defacing Heritage Considered June 5, 2009
Posted by history in : Uncategorized , 2comments
The practice of fining offenders for defacing heritage is certainly not a new process, indeed as Anthony Tung reports in Preserving the World’s Great Cities (by the way, if you don’t have a copy of this faboulous book buy one), “in 458 Emperor Marjorian decreed that Magistrates who gave permission for [Rome's] Imperial monuments to be stripped of their stone should be fined 25 kilograms of gold and have their hands cut off.” For what it possesed in severeity, it lacked in effectiveness, as evidenced by the loss of much of the ancient city. Fast forward 1551 years and we still face many of those same problems. Our heritage, even our protected heritage, is constantly under attack, with threats both large and small. The Indian Express recently reported (you can find the article here) that the recently restored Bandara Railway Station is being defaced by some and shabbily treated by others. They are thinking of imposing fines to help put a stop to this. Hopefully their fines will have the reverse formula that Majorian’s dead, what they lack in severity, they will possess in effectivness.