Glasgow, United Kingdom

Critical Heritage Walk: Kelvingrove Park

Critical Heritage Walk: Kelvingrove Park

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9 tour stops

1

Welcome to Kelvingrove Park

What lies ahead on this heritage trail through one of Glasgow's most loved parks?

3 min
2

Footnote: Critical Concepts

What is difficult heritage and challenging history exactly?

3 min
3

If You Build It They Will Come

If public parks are set pieces, when and why did Kelvingrove come into being?

3 min
4

The Story Behind the Name

What is the history of the word ‘Kelvingrove’? Where does the name originate from?

3 min
5

From Mansion to Museum

What role did museums play in colonialism and imperialism?

4 min
6

Beyond Ornament: Fountains as Monuments

What do fountains tell us about notions of civic, national and imperial pride?

3 min
7

Spectacles of Otherness

What are the ethics of commemorating challenging history?

3 min
8

Commemorating Colonial Exploits

Statues. What's to be done with them?

3 min
9

Artefacts of an Imperial Metropolis

Was Glasgow more than the ‘second city’ of the British empire?

3 min

Overview

Dotted throughout Kelvingrove Park are plaques, statues and monuments commemorating various people and historical events, but since its creation in the mid-nineteenth century the park has witnessed numerous other happenings, the signs of which are largely invisible today. This critical heritage walk takes its cue from the fact that much of Glasgow’s urban fabric reflects the city’s deep involvement in colonial and imperial networks that were economic, social and cultural in nature. By slow walking and close looking we can engage with the civic spaces that surround us, examining the stories that are preserved and presented to us, as well as seeing and acknowledging those that aren’t.

Itinerary 1.4 km / 1:00

Offline map included

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