That Was Then, This Is Now

📘 About This Book

That Was Then, This Is Now is a compendium of innovative research into the ideas, experiences, and iconographies embodied in materialities of the recent past. Drawing upon a variety of disciplines, including archaeology, history, art, and cultural geography, authors examine themes of relevance to the contemporary world, such as the impacts of automobility, the invisible effects of radioactivity, and the scale of future cities. It serves as a reminder, moreover, that issues that confront us as global citizens – mass consumption, population growth, technological development, and the conditions of belonging – find expression in the everyday objects, images and vestiges encountered in our ordinary lives. Through their examination of such artefacts as comic books, road memorials, bullet holes, showbags and cable ties, the authors explore the complex relations between people, places, and things and the emotions underpinning them – nostalgia, play, grief, and humour. Issues and ideas of international scope are addressed through a focused approach as authors locate their site-specific studies in both rural and urban geographies, as well as in the spaces of the imagination, the universe and even the personal home. Given the enormous scale and diversity of material generated by the practices of living in the present, it is difficult to imagine how the archaeologies and material cultures of the contemporary world may be defined. The studies presented here offer a way forward, and, in doing so, point reflexively to the past, as well as the now and the future of things to come.

📖 Summary

That Was Then, This Is Now, edited by Anne Clarke and published in 2016, is a compelling 198-page compendium that presents innovative research into the ideas, experiences, and iconographies embedded within the materialities of the recent past. Rather than looking exclusively at ancient history or distant epochs, this volume turns its academic lens toward the tangible remnants of modern life, demonstrating how everyday objects, images, and ordinary vestiges capture the profound complexities of contemporary human existence. Drawing skillfully upon a diverse variety of academic disciplines, including archaeology, history, art history, and cultural geography, the contributors examine an eclectic array of themes that hold immediate relevance to the modern world. Readers are invited to explore the far-reaching impacts of automobility, contemplate the invisible and lingering effects of radioactivity, and visualize the staggering scale of future cities. The book functions as a vital intellectual reminder that the grand issues confronting us today as global citizens—such as mass consumption, runaway population growth, rapid technological development, and the shifting conditions of human belonging—do not exist merely as abstract policy debates. Instead, these massive global forces find physical expression and daily articulation right in our midst, manifested in the ordinary items we handle, pass by, or overlook. Through meticulous examinations of specific, relatable artefacts ranging from comic books and roadside memorials to bullet holes and urban infrastructure, the authors bridge the gap between material culture and sociological theory. The research collected here challenges us to look differently at the material world we construct and inhabit, revealing how the recent past continues to actively shape our present realities and future trajectories. By treating modern detritus and everyday imagery as serious subjects of scholarly inquiry, the volume opens up fresh avenues for understanding how humans interact with their environment, technology, and one another in an increasingly complex global society.

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