A Contemporary Archaeology of London’s Mega Events
From the Great Exhibition to London 2012
Jonathan Gardner
Praise for A Contemporary Archaeology of London’s Mega Events
'An engaging example of contemporary archaeology ... These stories ... reveal how mega events operate ‘pharmakonically’, to use Gardner’s term: they straddle ‘the ambiguity between remedy and poison’, displacing residents and previously existing structures, for example, while bringing the prospect of urban regeneration into view.'
The Past
Jonathan Gardner is an archaeologist and heritage researcher based at Edinburgh College of Art.
List of figures
List of abbreviations
Acknowledgements
1 Introduction: Mega events as time machines
2 Mega methodologies
3 1851: Rematerialising the Great Exhibition
4 All that is solid melts: The Crystal Palace at Sydenham,1854–2021
5 Rebuilding the past at the South Bank Exhibition and the Festival of Britain, 1951
6 Games Time: London 2012 and the absent present
7 Legacy or heritage? Making time in the post-Olympic city
8 Discussion: The contemporary archaeology of mega events
Bibliography
Index
The Past
‘This is a meticulously researched, inventive, and compelling read. Gardner employs an expansive methodology to weave together a multitude of perspectives on the three case studies, which are fruitfully contextualised within evolving backdrops of war, colonialism, class, time and place. The book is an invaluable resource for multi-disciplinary researchers of mega events and an enjoyable read for the generalist.’ – Laura McAtackney, Aarhus University
Format: Open Access PDF
71 colour illustrations
Copyright: © 2022
ISBN: 9781787358447
Publication: May 16, 2022
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