Book Description

Sport is an integral part of British culture and an important aspect of modern life, but although its importance has been recognised in academic history, in the growing and related fields of heritage and museum studies it has yet to be fully appreciated and brought into interaction More...with historical studies. Ideologically, sport and heritage both convey powerful messages, responsible for shaping our understanding of sport, history, and the past; although they have essentially operated as separate spheres, one important aspect of convergence between them is seen in the rise and popularity of sports museums, the collecting of sporting art and memorabilia, and popular concern over the demise of historic sports buildings and places. The essays in this volume look at sports history as manifested in academic enquiry, museum exhibition and heritage sites. They deal among other things with the public representation of sport and why it matters; its impact on public spheres; the direction of sports heritage studies and what they should be attempting to achieve; the role of museums in public history; and the place, memory and meaning in the historic sports landscape.