Public memorials
As part of a walk recently, I ventured though a local churchyard and came across this moving memorial to a local child. It was extraordinary not only in its scale but also in the variety of objects that had been accumulated. It reminded me instantly of the outpouring of grief following the death of Diana Princess of Wales. It also reminded me of the increasingly frequent, and often informal representations of mourning that are appearing within the public realm. Although a difficult topic to face, our attitudes towards the dead, and in particular those who have been victims of violent crime or traffic accidents, is relevant to the study of how the public realm is experienced. More… »
