Browsing by Subject "Authenticity (Philosophy)"
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Item Preserving Integrity and Authenticity in the Public Display of Ruins(2015) Hassler, Darlene; MA in Historic PreservationThis thesis research investigates how the public display of ruins affects their authenticity and integrity. People have long had a fascination with ruins and their ability to convey a sense of the past. For this reason, ruins are deemed worthy of preservation and placed on display for public enjoyment. However, in the process of public display, certain interventions to preserve ruins and make them safe and accessible to visitors may adversely affect the authenticity and integrity of the resources. Maintaining a high level of integrity and authenticity is valuable for the longevity of these resources and increases the public interest in them. Visitors enjoy knowing that ruins are original and authentic to the history that they convey. My thesis question is: In the public display of ruins, how and in what ways is it possible to preserve and protect integrity and authenticity of the physical remains, both above and below ground? Numerous resources, including English Heritage, the National Park Service, and the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Convention were consulted for this thesis research and analysis. These and other sources of authoritative literature from heritage tourism, preservation, and conservation experts provide the methods and analysis for my research. Seven case studies of ruins in the Mid-Atlantic region are also presented. These examples demonstrate the various ways in which ruins are preserved and interpreted to the public. By analyzing these case studies and developing a rating system I was able to develop my findings and recommendations. Primarily, the key to preserving authenticity and integrity in the public display of ruins is maintaining a balance between resource protection and visitor services. In the decision-making process, site managers must place emphasis upon the retention of authenticity and integrity. The value of the ruin’s authenticity and integrity must be acknowledged and understood as a quality that protects the overall significance of the historic site. Site management decisions based upon maintaining authenticity and integrity of the ruins will be successful in choosing appropriate treatment interventions and the placement of visitor services.Item Rationalized authenticity and the transnational spread of intangible cultural heritage(Elsevier, 2019-08) Elliott, Michael A.; DeSoucey, Michaela; Schmutz, Vaughn; Towson University. Department of Anthropology, Sociology & Criminal JusticeThe 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted by UNESCO to enshrine and preserve exemplars of the intangible heritage of humanity – practices, traditions, and cultural expressions – on a global register. In our view, this convention highlights a tension between the valorization of cultural diversity on one hand and the universal relevance and value of masterpieces of intangible heritage to all humankind on the other. We introduce the term rationalized authenticity to refer to processes by which this tension is mitigated through simultaneous 1) fostering of a diversity of ways that heritage may be expressed or understood and 2) translation into rationalized forms that demonstrate the transnational relevance of cultural heritage. Based on a comparative analysis of three diverse examples of heritage on UNESCO’s list from outside the core of the cultural world system – tango from Argentina and Uruguay, acupuncture and moxibustion from China, and the Kodály concept from Hungary – we show how rationalized authenticity encourages the adoption of alternative definitions of cultural heritage and also facilitates the transnational spread and transformation of select masterpieces of intangible heritage.Item Steeling Home: Defining Authenticity and Integrity for Prefabricated Lustron Homes(2008) Sale, Jennifer O.; MA in Historic PreservationLustron Homes, post-World War II prefabricated ranch houses made of steel, are more than just architectural novelties. These precision-engineered marvels of mass production have benefited from growing awareness and preservation efforts. But in order to determine appropriate preservation strategies for Lustron Homes, we must examine the twin issues of integrity and authenticity, and how standards should be interpreted and applied. This thesis examines the question: How should authenticity and integrity be defined for the preservation of prefabricated Lustron Homes? The answers to this question will offer a new way for evaluating Lustron Homes on their own terms. By analyzing National Register nominations, guidelines, and other perspectives on assessing integrity, my research concludes that the National Register definition and criteria for integrity can be reasonably interpreted and applied to Lustron Homes. To determine integrity for a Lustron Home, one should ask: Does the Lustron Home convey its architectural and engineering significance and its identity as a postwar precision- engineered, prefabricated, mass-produced house? Authenticity is more than just a test for an historic property to pass. A firm understanding can help guide the treatment and management of a property on an ongoing basis. My analysis identifies conceptual authenticity – the expression of an historic resource’s generating principles and key conceptual values – as the most relevant approach to determining authenticity for Lustron Homes. My thesis defines conceptual authenticity for Lustron Homes as the honest expression of the values of mass production, durability, and modernity. I use this definition of authenticity to evaluate four main areas of preservation or rehabilitation methods – alterations and additions, moving and disassembly, cleaning and painting, and repair and replacement. The definition of conceptual authenticity and my interpretation of integrity standards can be adapted and applied to other types of twentieth-century prefabricated housing to supplement an integrity-based preservation approach. A Lustron preservation approach taking authenticity into account should retain or enhance the expression of the identity or “true soul” of a Lustron Home, embracing the key conceptual values of mass production, durability, and modernity. The Lustron marketing slogan, “The Lustron Home – A New Standard for Living,” represents not only the revolutionary spirit of the Lustron Home’s identity, but the optimistic postwar spirit of using mass production processes to make the dream of homeownership attainable for all Americans.