A many-headed axe: originality in large technology heritage

Abstract

The nature of authenticity and the role of originality are perennial subjects of debate in heritage. The role of originality is arguably to anchor the imaginative reconstruction of the past in reality, underpinning affective understandings of the past with accurate physical and sensory evidence. In practice, however, the term “originality” is used rather haphazardly, to mean many different things and many different ways of preserving and interpreting heritage objects. It is particularly problematic in the field of large technology heritage, where objects typically reflect historical evidence of multiple owners and service contexts, and extensive functional and aesthetic change. This article uses interviews with large technology heritage producers and visitors to examine how different understandings of originality influence the ways in which people conserve, restore, interpret and view this type of heritage, and the crucial role these different approaches can have in the success or failure of large technology heritage projects. The very practical difficulties of defining and preserving originality in large technology heritage are brought into focus with a discussion of the HMAS Brisbane display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.