Noussia, Julia Antonia; (1997) Constructing spaces, representing places: a comparative analysis of open air museums in England. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The advent of the new millennium witnesses an increased interest in heritage and countryside. These two key issues of contemporary English culture are spatially represented in open air museum sites. This study addresses this growing phenomenon by investigating open air museums as a cultural process where meanings are constantly generated and circulated over time. Through a series of five detailed case studies, this thesis suggests that open air museums represent hybridised forms with shared characteristics drawn from conventional museums and landscapes. The challenge of the research was to investigate how museum narratives interact with landscape to produce representations of the geographical heritage of places. This interdisciplinary approach draws upon a number of developments within cultural geography, landscape research and museum studies, in a study of spatial structure and cultural representation. A main contribution of the research is to establish a methodology capable of responding to the complex character of open air museums. Adopting a variety of methods normally displayed in museum practice and landscape research, the thesis examines the evolution of open air museums by focusing on the process of transition from space to place. The central question of the research is to examine the configuration of space in open air museums and to explore how the spatial properties of each site affects the way that people experience it.

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