MArch Dissertation

An Investigation on The Relationship between Conservation and Collective Memories Case Study: Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool

Chuah Say Yin

180207822

Research Question:

Is conservation a consolidation of spatial and social collective memory?

CONTENT Abstract

1

1.0

Introduction

2-3

2.0

Overview of Collective Memory

4

2.1 Social Collective Memory

5

2.2 Spatial Collective Memory

6-7

Conservation and Preservation

8

3.1 Industrial Heritage

9-11

3.0 4.0

Case Study- Royal Albert Dock 4.1 Background of Royal Albert Dock

12-13

4.1.1 History of Royal Albert Dock

14-15

4.1.2 Conservation

16

5.0

Methodology

17-21

6.0

Analysis & Discussion of Data Collected

22

6.1 Spatial Collective Memory

23-29

6.2 Social Collective Memory

30-31

6.3 Connections of Spatial and Social Collective Memory

32-37

Discussion & Conclusion

38-39

7.0

List of figures

40-41

Bibliography

42-44

Appendix

45-83

A- Project Info B- Street Survey C- Satistical Data Collection D- preliminary data grouping (generation before 1980) E- preliminary data grouping (generation after 1980) F- secondary data analysis (generation before 1980) G- secondary data analysis (generation after 1980)

ABSTRACT

The tangible presence of the built environment and the intangibility of collective memories are intricately connected. However, in today’s post-industrial cities, heritage has often been considered as elements to be quoted selectively, and this has affected the continuity of collective memories. This research seeks to have a better understanding of the complex connections between the conservation of the built environment and collective memory.1 Its particular focus is on industrial heritage, with Albert Dock, Liverpool, serving as the case study, to shed light on the roles that conservation might play in the consolidation of collective memories. This is a grounded theory research in which the topic is investigated inductively through street surveys and analysis, alongside a self-captured photographic survey and documentary archive research. The paper begins with a literature review and discussion about the importance of collective memory recollected socially and spatially, and introduces the practices and values of industrial heritage conservation. The case study presents the author’s analysis of people’s experiences visiting the conserved Albert Dock complex and their associated spatial and social collective of the building complex and its setting.

1

Say Yin Chuah, ‘Preliminary Dissertation Submission- ARC 556/566’ (unpublished dissertation draft, University of Sheffield, 2019), p.1

01

1.0

INTRODUCTION

2

Heritage remains are complex realities that consist of layers of histories, constructed spatially and socially.

They inform the character of a place and identity of communities, supported by the creation of collective and individual memories. As such, the architecture of the city consists of two different elements: tangible man-made infrastructure engineered and evolved over time, and intangible rich histories behind the forms of a city. Both define the characteristics of cities, but it is through the latter that historical places are fundamentally different. It is said that ‘a place needs to become loaded with memories and traces of experience to become a place.’3 However, principles and practices have often been established to guide the conservation or preservation of historical sites that are mainly focused on aesthetic qualities. It has also been argued that modern conservation no longer aims at protecting just heritage significance itself, but acts to find a balancing point between economic interests and heritage meanings.4 These issues are particularly relevant in industrial conservation because, as a relative newcomer in this field, the political, economic and various other non-historical factors not only influence sites selected for commemoration, but also define conservation programmes and architecture restoration practices. Besides, Latham has also raised the idea that conservation should not be just ‘building led’, but it should also be ‘use-led’, by which he means that revitalisation should be considering the positive effects it has for the community, rather than solely keeping the buildings intact.5 These pose the question of whether new functions created for a historical building has a role in history and continuation of past memories.

2

Chuah, ‘Preliminary Dissertation Submission- ARC 556/566’, p.1 Segah Sak and Burcu Senyapili, ‘Evading Time and Place in Ankara: A Reading of Contemporary Urban Collective Memory Through Recent Transformations’, Space and Culture, (2018), 1-16 < https://doi-org.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/1206331218764334 > (p.1) 4 James Douet, and others, Industrial Heritage Re-tooled, The TICCIH guide to Industrial Heritage Conservation. (Lancaster: Routledge ,2016), p.204 5 Derek Latham, Creative Re-Use of Buildings, Volume I (Bath: Donhead Publishing Ltd, 2000), pp.9-10 3

02

Preservationists have often highlighted the necessities of preservation and conservation to maintain the sense of place and its identity as well as its contribution to the community. Yet, there seems to be a gap in addressing whether the spatial and social collective memories, which are the very constituents that form the character of a place and the elements that bind communities together, could be retained and be remembered through conservation. According to Connerton, cognitive memory is much better to be stimulated via visual coding, which means the preservation and conservation of a physical environment are vital to evoke its related collective memory. 6 However, physical presence alone would not ensure the consolidation of memories.

Since industrial architecture is a more recent listed heritage, the impact on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives is much more vivid and relatable to the present, which makes it suitable to be used as a context to investigate the effect of conservation and preservation on the collective memories of people. Research could thus be done inductively through interviews to understand their memories.

Therefore, the objective of the paper is to investigate the essential question of whether conservation plays an important role in assuring the consolidation of the collective memories of communities, which is, arguably the most important element to help preserve a sense of place. The Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool has been chosen as the case study as it was one of the most important docks in the maritime mercantile history of Liverpool, which had witnessed significant global trading in the 18th and 19th century. It has played substantial roles even in the present and influenced the lives of, predominantly local Liverpudlians. It is also recognized as one of the most successful conserved industrial heritage that has been awarded UNESCO world heritage status.

6

Dolores Hayden, The Power of Place: Urban Landscape as Public History (United States: The MIT Press, 1997), p.47

03

2.0

OVERVIEW OF COLLECTIVE MEMORY Collective memory is the recollections of the past by a large group of people which helps to form the shared identity and experience of the community. The social and cultural aspects that influence the evocation of collective memories have long been of interest to the anthropologist.7 In fact, the term “collective memory” has been widely researched in numerous disciplines including history, built environment, psychology and so on. However, when it comes to the sites of memory and social memory, the literature written by Pierre Nora and Maurice Halbwachs are particularly influential.8 In fact, Halbwachs was the first to have established the idea of collective memory and linked its relations to social groups.9 His works have consequently influenced numerous sociologists and historians.

In the preservation and conservation of heritage, collective memory in both the social and spatial dimension are the two inseparable elements which are intricately connected to resuscitate the past.

Thus, in this chapter, the relationship between both the spatial and social collective memory found in the existing literature will be discussed.

7 Michael G. Kenny, ‘A Place for Memory: The Interface between Individual and Collective History’ Comparative Studies in Society and History, 41.3 (1999), 420-437< http://www.jstor.org.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/stable/179434.> [Accessed 25 July 2019] (p. 421) 8 Leila Mahmoudi Farahani, Marzieh Setayesh and Leila Shokrollahi. ‘Contextualizing Palimpsest of Collective Memory in An Urban Heritage Site: Case Study of Chahar Bagh, Shiraz – Iran’, International Journal of Architectural Research, 9.1(2015), 218-231, <http://dx.doi.org/10.26687/ archnet-ijar.v9i1.510> (p. 219) 9 Alon Confino, ‘Memory and the History of Mentalities’, in A Companion to Cultural Memory Studies: An International and Interdisciplinary Handbook, ed. bu Astrid Erll, Ansgar Nünning, and Sara Young (Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, Inc.,2008), pp. 77-84 (P.77). ProQuest Ebook Central.

04

2.1

Social Collective Memory

According to Halbwachs, the collective framework of memory is the sum of individual reminiscences of the past which belongs to similar groups within a community.10 It is collective yet individual, constructed socially and perpetually recollected via the consciousness of each member in the same society. It is fragile, susceptible to constant evolutions and unconscious of its successive deformation, which is prone to a dialectic of remembering and forgetting.11 Nevertheless, collective memory is important as it not only provides a sense of identity within the community but also plays a major role in the constant reconstruction of individual memory and the past via present stimuli.

Socialization and communication are two fundamental factors when it comes to remembrance of social memory. Socialization essentially means by living in groups and communities, one is able to form memories and identity. It through such social interactions that one’s memories would constantly be evoked and consolidated. Whereas for communication memory, it is non-institutional, of which remembrance occurs through everyday interactions without reliance on formal occasions, celebrations, or any physical form of commemoration.12 It is continued via habits, skills of unspoken traditions and intrinsic selfknowledge, which is described to be ‘true memory’ by Nora.13 Thus, memory is about communication and social interaction.14

10

Maurice Halbwachs, On Collective Memory, trans. by Coser, Lewis A (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press,1992), p.52 Pierre Nora, Between Memory and History: Les Lieux De Mémoire, Representations, 26(1989), 7-24 <doi:10.2307/2928520.> (p.8) 12 Jan Assmann, ‘Memory and the History of Mentalities’, in A Companion to Cultural Memory Studies: An International and Interdisciplinary Handbook, ed. bu Astrid Erll, Ansgar Nünning, and Sara Young (Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, Inc.,2008), pp. 109-118 (p.111). ProQuest Ebook Central.

13 Nora, Between Memory and History: Les Lieux De Mémoire, pp.8-13 14 Assmann, ‘Memory and the History of Mentalities’, p.109 11

05

2.2

Spatial Collective Memory ‘The city is the locus of collective memory’.15 Since the past of a place would never be stagnant and consists of just a single history, it is inevitably undergoing a constant metamorphosis which gathers complex constituents to redefine the history of a place. It is as if a palimpsest, whose character could be defined as the layering of pasts collected through the elapse of time and the constant eradication of the old to make way for the new to appear. These urban artefacts could also be termed as spatial collective memory. However, the two fundamental questions to raise here are, how are spaces connected to the social dimension of collective memory and what is the role of space in recording human memory?

Hayden has stated that ‘memory is naturally place oriented or at least place-supported’, of which the place itself has become the mnemonic device that could trigger the memories of the communities besides being the very instrument to stimulate visual memory as the resources for public history. 16 Although collective memory is socially constructed, it is centred around the concept of space, which means that spatial imaginary actually helps in discovering the past in the present. 17 This is supported by the observation that ‘ “memory” is not a metaphor but a metonym based on material contact between a remembering mind and a reminding object’, which explains that objects carry memory. 18 The present is thus the absolute resonance of the past transformed through passage of time. As such, tangible existence essentially acts as the very tool to weave space and time together to evoke one’s memories. It is through material reality, architecture, built environment and particularly historical sites, that collective memory could be recollected socially.

15

Aldo Rossi and Peter Eisenman, The Architecture of the City, trans. by Ghirardo, D., Ockman, J (New York: The MIT Press, 1982), p.130 Hayden, The Power of Place: Urban Landscape as Public History, pp.46-47 17 Michael Hebbert, ‘The Street as Locus of Collective Memory’, Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 23 (2005), 581–596. <https://doi. org/10.1068/d55j> (p. 584) 18 Assmann, ‘Memory and the History of Mentalities’, p.111 16

06

The place a group occupies is not like a blackboard, where one may write and erase figures at will. […] The board could not care less what has been written on it before, and new figures may be freely added. But place and group have each received the imprint of the other. Each aspect, each detail of this place has a meaning intelligible only to members of the group, for each portion of its space corresponds to various and different aspects of the structure and life of their society, at least of what is most stable in it. 19 This description by Halbwachs which has repeatedly been quoted is perhaps the best to describe how significant material presence is to social groups in reconciling the past. The first and second phrases have been described by Rossi as memory manifested in urban structures, acting as the consciousness of the city. 20 In fact, Aldo Rossi, inspired by Halbwachs’ study on collective memory, was the first person to explore the idea of urban memory in the literature of the built environment. 21 His approach is unique in the sense that he has anthropomorphized the built environment that is remembered through the constant building and rebuilding. To elaborate, the built environment is as if a theatre of events which holds the pasts and present, fundamentally demonstrating transformation through the epoch of the whole nation, culture, politics, character and so on. This is because physical structures are continually transforming to adapt to the current needs, to be forgotten or erased for other purposes.22 Therefore, according to Rossi, the preservation of heritage remains is similar to retaining the memories of the human mind.23

19

Hebbert, ‘The Street as Locus of Collective Memory’, p. 584 Rossi and Eisenman, The Architecture of the City, p.131 21 Farahani, Setayesh and Shokrollahi. ‘Contextualizing Palimpsest of Collective Memory in An Urban Heritage Site: Case Study of Chahar Bagh, Shiraz – Iran’, p.220 22 M. Christine Boyer, The City of Collective Memory: In Historical Imagery and Architectural Entertainments (United States,The MIT Press, 1994) p.31 23 Mark Crinson and others, Urban Memory: History and Amnesia in the Modern City (Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2005), p. xiii. ProQuest Ebook Central.

20

07

3.0

CONSERVATION & PRESERVATION We speak so much of preservation and conservation because places are constantly changing and thus the old built environment may no longer be needed to serve the same purpose. Therefore, there are ‘sites of memory, because there is no longer a real environment of memory’. 24 Although the past could continually exist in the present via written history, historical narratives, archival records, surviving artefacts, built environment or historical sites, it is because structures and sites are particularly powerful and accessible that buildings have often been used as a tool to express and narrate the pasts.25 Nevertheless, memory is fragile and vulnerable to successive forgettings and rememberings, could it be simply sustained via material existence? Despite literature stressing the importance of spaces in reconciling social memories as reviewed in the previous chapter, there seems to be a gap in investigating the real influence of architecture to collective memory that is no longer relevant in the present. To answer the question, it is first important to know the definitions and values of conservation and preservation.

According to Forsyth, preservation means to restore the building to its original state by means of minimal repair and maintenance. 26 Besides, preservation has often emphasized authenticity instead of reproduction. This coincides with John Ruskin’s belief that the remains of the past should not be disturbed by the present. However, we can never experience the past how it was, because no matter how perfectly buildings have been preserved, they are nothing more than a physical existence of the present since the past is no longer here. 27 Hence, conservation acts to add functions to historical remnants. Conservation is thus the action to revitalize historic places by considering the best suitable ways to retain its historical and cultural value while accepting new opportunities for the present and future generations. 28 Often, people visit historical sites because they want to literally “get in touch with history”.29 Nonetheless, historical sites are essentially influenced by political and economic objectives which are deliberately selected, socially reconstructed and reinterpreted to represent the pasts. For instance, many preservationists since the mid-nineteenth century in the United States have attempted to retain historic remains that celebrate the glorious past as a tool to evoke national pride and patriotism.30 Thus, buildings may be rejuvenated and transformed to openly express certain histories to intentionally highlight a specific past.

24

Nora, Between Memory and History: Les Lieux De Mémoire, p.7 Gregory Ashworth, ‘Preservation, Conservation and Heritage: Approaches to the Past in the Present through the Built Environment’, Asian Anthropology, 10.1(2011), 1-18, <https://doi.org/10.1080/1683478X.2011.10552601> (p.2)

25

26

Michael Forsyth ed., Understanding Historic Building Conservation (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2007), pp. 1-2. ProQuest Ebook Central.

27 Ashworth, ‘Preservation, Conservation and Heritage: Approaches to the Past in the Present through the Built Environment’, p.7 28 Historic England, Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance (London: English Heritage, 2008), p.22 29 Diane Barthel, ‘Getting in Touch with History: The Role of Historic Preservation in Shaping Collective Memories’, Qualitative Sociology, 19.3 (1996), 345-364 <https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02393276> (p. 345) 30 Hayden, The Power of Place: Urban Landscape as Public History, p.53

08

3.1

Industrial Heritage Since the previous functions of historical buildings may no longer be viable in the present, conservation has often focused on aesthetic and fabric issues. This has posed real challenges to industrial heritage as it was often difficult to be deemed as heritage at all since it might be too poorly designed and constructed and did not have architectural presence and qualities of conventional artefacts from pre-industrial periods. 31 Nevertheless, there was a sudden acknowledgement and nostalgia found in the unique and raw qualities of industrial settings as physical features of the city which had changed in the course of time, which induced industrial remains to be regenerated into other contemporary functions. 32 Undoubtedly, financial problems were also one of the key factors that have caused numerous industrial structures to be adaptively re-used by transforming factories, warehouses and old mills into offices, residential apartments, shopping complexes, just to name a few.33 Such adaptations aim to boost the economy, create new jobs, generate tourists’ activities or create pleasant environments by sustainably breathing new life into the deserted industrial heritage while securing its historical values. 34 Thus, historical remnants have often become slightly more than the carcasses of previous functions, with historical aesthetics retained but the ‘soul’ of the buildings completely removed, with little from the interior of the activities that resonate from the past. However, The English conservation system is now giving more acknowledgement to historical aspects of the protection of industrial heritage as stated in Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance in which evidential values, historical values, aesthetic values, communal values would all be accessed in order ensure the sustaining of heritage significance. 35 Their value is summarised in the figure 1.

Evidential Value

Historic physical remains are the main evidence to interpret the evolutions of places, peoples and cultures.

Historical Value

Historical value connects past events, aspects of life and people through a site to the presents. It could be divided into: 1. Illustrative value: - The value becomes greater when combined with surviving examples of social organisation, technology or design.

2. Associative value: - Notable family, person, movement or event that bear historical or cultural resonance

Aesthetic Value Communal Value

Aesthetic value is usually specific to a time and cultural context. It relates to structure, landscape, design, composition, materials, details and craftmanship governing the design.

It is derived from the meanings of a place for the community who have gained their associative collective experience or memory. i)

Commemorative and symbolic values: -important elements of identity, places of remembrance, collective memory -shows the meaning of a place for the people who draw their identity from it

ii)

Social value: -places regarded by people as a source of identity and social interactions -usually connected to activities, rather than physical fabrics

iii)

Spiritual value: -usually associated with place of worship

Figure 1: Summary of heritage value 31

Judith Alfrey and Tim Putnam., The Industrial Heritage, managing resources and uses, (London: Routledge, 1992), p.9 Douet, and others, Industrial Heritage Re-tooled, The TICCIH guide to Industrial Heritage Conservation, pp. 213-214 33 Barthel, ‘Getting in Touch with History: The Role of Historic Preservation in Shaping Collective Memories’ Qualitative Sociology, p. 352 34 Douet, and others, Industrial Heritage Re-tooled, The TICCIH guide to Industrial Heritage Conservation, pp. 205-206 35 Historic England, Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance, pp. 27-32 32

09

To further explain, it should again be stressed that industrial heritage is much more than just its aesthetics. It is a strong connection of the past and today’s world especially in introducing advancement in technologies, manufacturing, engineering, construction etc., that has fundamentally affected people both socially and culturally. However, industrial culture is no longer the core of people’s lives in our modern society. Therefore, multiple adaptations over time and vast structural alteration would cause memories of a place to be just a distant, detached and fragmented reminder of an obsolete human activity.36 Moreover, not all industrial processes and values exist in physical forms. Even for those which are physically visible, their authenticity could not be assured since the architecture may have successively transformed to stay informed with the technological and economic changes. Thus, the most significant industrial pasts may not have sustained architecturally. How then would the physical environment be capable of playing a role to conserve collective memory?

At a much larger scale, Crinson has described that the city’s successive building and rebuilding as acting as an assemblage of objects that trigger reconciliation of the past. 37 This is possibly inspired by Rossi’s anthropomorphosis about city having a memory. Regardless, when superimposed onto industrial conservation where structures are adaptively reused for new functions, these tangible aspects assist in remembering the past events. Hence, it was argued that collective memory is able to be memorialised into architecture although it is constantly transforming in the consciousness of a group. This is because a group usually associates their commonality to material objects or physical spaces that consequently help to stimulate the previous events that form their collective identity.38 Numerous literature reviews have thus emphasized the importance of conservation since the presence of architecture is evocative to relive collective memories. It has also mentioned that apart from physical aspects such as industrial settings, fabrics, functions, related objects, etc., the associated intangible value is crucial to consolidate important historical events or culture.39 Yet, memory is by nature collective, specific, individual, which is only intelligible to the group who has experienced similar moments. What could really be retained from this conserved tangible presence has not been investigated in the existing literature despite stressing the importance of the linkage between conservation and memories.

36

Douet, and others, Industrial Heritage Re-tooled, The TICCIH guide to Industrial Heritage Conservation, pp. 214-215 Crinson, and others, Urban Memory: History and Amnesia in the Modern City, p.xii.

38 Ibid. p.xiiii 39 Douet, and others, Industrial Heritage Re-tooled, The TICCIH guide to Industrial Heritage Conservation, pp. 243-245 37

10

Moreover, architects, planners and conservationists are often fond of relating architectural remnants or urban places with identity and heritage but in fact, public memory is also constituting social conflicts, political injustice, trauma and various other difficult pasts.40 Nevertheless, the nation is always choosing what to preserve to achieve certain aims. One example in Britain is Blists Hill village reconstruction at Ironbridge which was highlighted in Barthel’s research. It was stated that while exhibition of sawmill had successfully demonstrated the technology, the social relations of the industrial production, which encompassed violence such as risk, accidents, exploitation, and sexual innuendo, etc., were not being conveyed authentically because it would oppose tourists’ expectation besides being unsuitable for the subjects of tours for schoolchildren and family outings which then against the political and economic interests for preservation. 41 Therefore, museums are the very place which was substantially manipulated by curators, governments and politicians to narrate and celebrate their achievements.42 Such commemorations of the industrial heritage are contradicting to the collective memories of the people who have been through the industrial epoch. As such, it is interesting to investigate the relevance of conservations and museum exhibitions to industrial pasts, to understand whether they have accurately been communicated through architecture and its current programmes. The key idea here is to analyse the lived experiences of older generations who been through the industrial pasts and consequently evaluate whether they have authentically been reflected in both spatial and social aspects of conservation.

In short, on social aspects, the paper aims to examine the difference in memories and knowledge of the people who have, and who have not experienced the historical moment, in order to measure the impact of industrial conservation on consolidation of collective memories. This is done by analysing the conservation attempts in continuing social memories besides comparing two groups of people separated by their ages, in order to understand their engagement with the collective significance of the industrial past. Whereas for the spatial part, the relationships between the spatial usage of the past and the present are being investigated to interpret its reflections of historical significance and its influence on collective memories. These studies would consequently answer to the question of whether conservation has helped to consolidate spatial and social collective memories.

40 Can Bilsel, ‘Architecture and the Social Frameworks of Memory: A Postscript to Maurice Halbwachs’ “Collective Memory”’. Iconarp International Journal of Architecture and Planning, 5.1(2017), 01-09, <http://dx.doi.org/10.15320/ICONARP.2017.14> (p.2) 41 Barthel, ‘Getting in Touch with History: The Role of Historic Preservation in Shaping Collective Memories’, p. 357 42 Ibid. p.357

11

4.0

CASE STUDY ROYAL ALBERT DOCK

12

4.1

Background of Royal Albert Dock

Figure 2: Location of Albert Dock

Liverpool played crucial roles in global trade during the 18th and19th century as well as the growth of the British Empire with Albert Dock being the pivotal role.

As shown in figure 2, Albert Dock is located at the southern part of the extension of docks. It is next to the Salthouse Dock and Canning Dock which was built much earlier than the Albert Dock.

13

4.1.1 History of Royal Albert Dock Albert Dock had changed the way the dock worked forever as it was the first dock in Liverpool to be designed with fireproof warehouses that are equipped with advanced hydraulic machinery that assists in unloading.43 It is a magnificent piece of mid-Victorian technology in engineering and construction as it was built with only non-combustible materials such as brick, stone, cast irons, galvanized wrought iron, since fire was an important hazard in dock warehouse 44 It is the quintessential pioneer closed wet dock system in Liverpool.45 However, the dock was found to be too small even in the early days especially with the coming of steamships and that simply means the entrance to it was difficult. 46 By 1920, commercial ships sailing into the dock were almost zero and the warehouse was only used as storage of merchandise brought from road, barge and rail.47 During World War II, the dock was again teeming with activities on the river and was bustling with numerous small warships, submarines and landing crafts berthing at Albert Dock.48 It had been abandoned by 1972.

A summary of Albert Dock’s timeline is as illustrated in figure 3.

43 Janet Tansley, ‘Nostalgia: The re-birth of the Albert Dock’, Liverpool Echo, 2015 <https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/nostalgia-rebirth-albert-dock-10020211> [accessed 1 Sept 2019] 44 National Museums Liverpool, ‘History of The Albert Dock’, information sheet 2 (unpublished document, Maritime Archives & Library, MMM/ DOCS/LR/13.2.04), pp.2-3 45 Forsyth, ed. Understanding Historic Building Conservation, p. 81.

46 Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, ‘History’, Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, 2019 <https://albertdock.com/history> [accessed 1 Sept 2019] 47 Tansley, ‘Nostalgia: The re-birth of the Albert Dock’, 2015 48 Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, ‘History’, Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, 2019

14

Figure 3: Timeline of Albert Dockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s History

15

4.1.2 Conservation Albert Dock was granted Grade I listed building status after the war and it is currently the largest collection of Grade I listed industrial buildings in the country.49 Rather than a limited preservation approach, Merseyside Development Corporation (MDC) chose to conserve its architectural significance and heritage by introducing seasonal events, cultural and commercial programmes. Its purpose was to generate a new sense of place around the dock and its surrounding setting to be a pleasurable public realm that engaged with the historical atmosphere.50 Moreover, Albert Dock has formed a fundamental part of Liverpool’s maritime history and is a crucial factor in Liverpool’s Maritime Mercantile City World Heritage Status.51 It is known as Royal Albert Dock today since the Royal status was awarded to recognize its important role played in the city’s history, besides signifying its commendable historically-driven transformation project.

The dock is commonly regarded as being successfully conserved to celebrate the city’s rich and difficult maritime stories. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the meaning of this adaptation and its connection with the past, to understand whether it helps to remember or forget the past, as well as its relationship with the collective memory of the people in both social and spatial dimension.

49

Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, ‘History’, Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, 2019 Albert Dock Liverpool, Albert Dock Lecture Series, 2017 <http://albertdockinterpro.com/lecture/lecture-series-two/#1> [accessed 28 Mac 2019] 51 Ibid.

50

16

5.0

METHODOLOGY The author has selected a grounded theory research approach, to generate a ‘unified theoretical explanation’.52 The idea is to form a theory in the missing gap concerning the relationships between conservation and collective memory that has not been discussed in existing literature. The research question is primarily separated into two parts: the conservation involved and collective memories associated with the site, the latter is further divided into social and spatial aspects. The data collection involves:

1)

Street survey:

mainly to understand local people’s and visitor’s perceptions via free-text responses. 60 participants were interviewed. The sample of the question is as shown in figure 3.

The questions are targeted to understand: i)

Memories associated with Albert Dock

ii)

Reasons for visiting Albert Dock

iii)

Knowledge towards the history of the place

iv)

Attitude towards the conservation of the place.

Archival researches:

2)

mainly from the Maritime Archives and Library at Merseyside Maritime Museums, as well as information found from published books and online. This includes collecting old photographs of Albert Dock, architectural plans, conservation materials.

3)

Researcher’s observation: This was a seven-day field study to observe events happening at the docks besides taking photographs to document the current usage of the spaces.

For the social collective memory, theoretical sampling is chosen for the survey, which means the participants chosen are based on their age in order to compare the experience of the people who have, and who have not been through the Albert Dock’s pre-conserved era. Generations before and after 1980 were selected as it was the year when the dock was started to be revitalized with the opening of Merseyside Maritime Museum. It is primarily to study and compare the social memory of the visitors. To investigate spatial collective memory, the current and previous spatial usage are layered against each other to see their connectivity. It mainly depended on the archival researches and my own photographs acquired during the observation.

52

Henry, Gary T, ‘Practical Sampling’, in The SAGE Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods, 2nd ed (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009) pp.77-105. <https://dx-doi-org.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/10.4135/9781483348858.n3> (pp.81-82)

17

Statistical analysis, which is later on recorded in sheets, to generate into charts

Free-text questions

Figure 4: Survey Sheets

18

The surveys were voice recorded and are then transcribed into scripts as shown in the example of figure 5.

Figure 5: example of survey transcript

19

no: 15

Summary

2.activity of the dock

1. having personal memory which involves overhead railway, not so much on Albert Dock.

1. positive attitude towards the conservation and preservation. (both historical and non-historical)

most memorable event none I like to see the tour ship. Round the world clipper race last year started at Albert Dock. I love ships. I used to be sailor. I used to go Macau, Singapore.

Personal Memory- working dock Yes. I used to work here. Not in this Albert Dock, but in Liverpool, many years ago. It was all derelict.

Personal opinion/attitude 1. It’s fantastic.

2. activity of the dock 5. personal reason

3. having personal memory of Albert Dock of previous generations

1. evocation of the past memories via physical existence of the built environment.

2. Involve a larger context

(even though he has deep memories of the place, personal attachment is not the reason)

No:16

Summary

1. I am here on business.

2. Do you like the place because of the new activities but because it has something to do with . I have sat on the Overhead Railway before. The the past?

-The past. Well, both really. view was fantastic. You could have a glimpse of the docks around in this whole dock areas and the 3. Because apart from the museums, the docks were always very busy. activities are a bit commercialised.

Personal Memory- derelict - Why not? That’s what it is for. People could sit I remember the place was derelict and not being there for eat and drink. That’s what it is for. developed.

none

Personal memory-working dock Obviously, all of these (pointing at the building), I used to come here many years ago when it was a is still how it used to be. Only those modern working dock. buildings that have changed the appearance.

These buildings give me a good idea of how it Yes. Well, I just remember it was a working dock. I used to be like. It was very busy. just remember it was very busy and it had ships that came from all over the world.

2. Apart from business, are you here also because of nostalgia?

-I am simply here on business. I am not here for any other reasons. I would, personally come here to visit.

I think I’ve really just been working here, delivering and collecting things and I used to drive lorries to the docks. There was a lot of warehouses that used to sell wines and spirits.

Massive seller that used to sell wines and spirits and there were the miles that used to do the sugar. There was a lot of history here so it was really busy at that time.

3. Maybe the attachment to The Beatles, I would always be attracted by The Beatles. Have you seen the four statues of The Beatles? If you go over there and have a look, you will know how popular that is, alone. People want to have photographs taken in front of The Beatles.

No:17

Summary

1. activity of the dockfacilities

4. personal memories that have little relationship with the dock

Figure 6: Part of the preliminary data grouping

Well, because my hotel is there, it is basically near to shops and things like that. I do visit the dock but then I will just walk to other places and then come back after that. But the dock is mainly where I am staying.

Definitely yes. It’s all part of I can’t really think of them. I stayed in the hotel Liverpool, isn’t it? All of the buildings and it’s quite nice. are old isn’t it? One of the few cities Personal memory- derelict are still like that.

It was many years ago, isn’t it? I remember it not Old history looking like this. It was a bit waste on the No, not really. I just know it was a buildings and the area, really very busy dock and that a lot of Americans used to have slavery trading here. So, a little bit of recent history rather than the older ones. .

1. positive attitude towards the conservation and preservation. (both historical and nonhistorical) 2. conservation programmes forms part of his memories and favourite moment in Albert dock. actions/ most memorable event The only thing I remember was we had the pirate festival here. The kids would dress up like pirates.

They have a pirate day here. I am not sure if it is a historical thing.

They didn’t sell costumes but people turned up dressed like pirates. Everyone got a pirate outfit Like the pirate’s day, that one was really fun. I like some of the exhibits that put out on the Tate.

And the fish and chips shop is definitely one of the best in the town. And the other one I think it’s interesting is the Jehovah’s Witness. Everyone is wearing shirts and ties. It is a religious thing.

This is not something I particularly agree with but it’s certainly something quite memorable. It’s all over the world, Jehovah’s Witness. They try to save your soul.

Since the survey was usually a conversation and hence the questions were not always answered according to the sequence, the data grouping as shown in figure 6 has been produced by sorting the transcript opinion/attitude patterns in into a thematic framework, to highlight main points, concepts and discover anyPersonal underlying What do you think about this building being conserved and preserved? participants’ responses. The framework is generated by largely referring to the-I think methods employed in it’s good.

53 Two sets of spreadsheets for the younger and Qualitative Research Practice by Jane Ritchie and others.

In the sense that you feel like the activity or because you feel like the past is successfully being conveyed? older generations were created to sort the data.

-I think the past. It conveys something that the city should look back.

Further data analysis as shown in figure 7 was then produced by extracting the main highlighted Exactly. Thepoints only one I really one I go was the Tate gallery. This is a better opportunity to see because the London one islinkages, always so busy. from the table of data summary in figure 6. This was done to devise categories andstuffidentify their Also, the Beatles museums are quite interesting. to sort the memory’s without losing the actual words of the participants.54 The column on the right is I like the idea of old buildings being used for something else but like you said, everything else description into different categories, which is later summarized into graphs. is a little bit commercialised. But then again, we don’t need a dock like this anymore but we can use it for something else.

53 Ritchie, Jane and others, Qualitative Research Practice: A guide for Social Science Students and Researchers, 2nd edn (Los Angeles: Sage, 2014), pp. 310-311 54

Ibid. pp. 310-311

20

Participants No.

1

memories context

1. Albert Dock

social memories I like it so much because of its history because there is a connection to previous generations. My grandpa worked in the dock. He was a fireman during the war. They have the Blitz in the Liverpool.

So, in the day time, he used to design the parts of the ships, and at night time he used to take water around Liverpool to stop it burning down. It is a family history.

attitude towards conservation of Albert Dock spatial memories Yeah, when the Tate, when I was in high school, and that was beautiful and I love it. And also, when I left employment from an employer, I came here, there was almost like a support session, consultation, and the colonnade buildings, and I had about three days and it was just such a beautiful place to be. Because I have just lost my job and I was going for another job very soon. And it is so just lovely to be here, it is very nice and because it is so close to water but you know deep water, so you get a deep sense of history here. It is lovely. (colonnade building, there was a department. Before it was being converted into an apartment, during 2005, long time ago)

It is fantastic. It needs to be. It is very special part of history you know, the docks, it is part of the economy. So, I think it is important to remember why Liverpool is so important, how Liverpoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is so important. And the docks were just so fundamental of that. I love it.

Most memorable event

category

1. tall ship 2. music event in the dock 3. Weatherman

Potential phrases to be used as quotes are in bold.

2,3

Memories of the place that do not exist anymore in the present

It was a dock full of ships. It was a place for people to travel away to America.

none 7

1. Albert Dock

10

1. Albert Dock

none

I think is important. They are nice. They are the memories of the people living in Liverpool.

none

none 5 none 6

Figure 7: Part of the secondary data interpretation

categories of respondentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; memories description, sorted into table as figure 7

Figure 8 shows the example of a table generated for the analysis which is used to compare the categories of memories description between two different generations. It is later generated into charts for discussion.

Several other tables were also produced for the analysis as attached in the appendix section.

Comparison of memories description between two different generations No. of category

1

2

3

4

5

6

Categories Evocation of memories involve a larger context evocation of Albert Dock's former event that cease to exist in the present Contemporary events occupied parts of the participants' important memories

Memories attached with Albert Dock are ONLY the contemporary events. tourists that wish to explore the city's history Visiting Albert Dock for personal reasons

Generations before 1980

Generations after 1980

6

1

16

3

18

7

3

3

2

8

8

17

Figure 8: Categories of memories description between two different generations

21

6.0 ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION OF DATA COLLECTED

22

6.1

Spatial Collective Memory

Figure 9: Albert Dock in 1980

Albert Dock (figure 9) was the goal of countless seafarers, the working place for countless dockers, which was always bustling with cargoes ships. It is the profound site of memory for Liverpoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maritime history and local Liverpudlians because the remnants of its existence are still living in the warmth of conservation.

As such dock and its warehouses are no longer needed in the present day, MDC has converted the decay and derelict dock into a public realm and tourist destination, with mixed programmes such as commercial areas, residential areas, tourist elements, and so on. The early proposal is as shown in figure 10. Since this aspect is interconnected with social collective memory, it shall be further discussed in chapter 6.3.

23

Figure 10: Pamphlet of Merseyside Development Corporation (MDC) on Albert Dock restoration

24

The conservation planning has been astonishingly successful to secure the commemorative presence of industrial architecture. The importance of the Albert Dock is not only because of its robustness for being built from solely cast iron, brick and stone, but the fact that it is the first British structure in this form of construction and the world’s first noncombustible warehouse system. 55 Therefore, the transformation intentionally exposed its original structures, such as cast-iron columns, intricate metal roof, brick vaulting, etc. as shown in figure 11 and 12, to ensure the visibility of the past. 56 This corresponds to Rossi’s and Crinson’s ideas mentioned in the previous chapter, which stated that a city is remembered through its building. Its presence is as if a monument that vividly reminds the present generations of how we came to the world it is today, in technologies, constructions and industrial history.

Figure 11: Exposed original structures of Victorian’s Warehouses (highlighted in colour)

Figure 12: Exposed original structures of Victorian’s Warehouses (highlighted in colour)

55

Elisabeth Sedgwick, ‘19 Albert Dock Photos Through the Year’, Signature Liverpool, 2016 <https://signaturesliverpool.co.uk/blog/19-historicalbert-dock-photos-you-need-to-see/> [accessed 25 Sept 2019] 56 Crinson, and others, Urban Memory: History and Amnesia in the Modern City, pp.128-136

25

Figure 13: Albert Dockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enormous damage during the May Blitz

Although the architectural forms were intentionally kept intact, Crinson has critically remarked that restoration of Albert Dock could not simply be regarded as a historical approach that would stimulate the past.57 This is because its interpretation of history is unquestionably simplistic by removing the past that is deemed unacceptable or that would distract its picturesque image for the pleasure of visitors.58 This is essentially true because the damage from the German bombing (figure 13) was not exposed or differentiated architecturally while restoring the structures of the building. As a result, visitors could not architecturally interact with the past. They might not even be conscious of the tragic experience unless they have been through the epoch themselves or acquired its related knowledge through the exhibition in the museum. Thus, has conservation helped to sustain the spatial collective memory of Albert Dock?

57 58

Crinson and others, Urban Memory: History and Amnesia in the Modern City, pp.127-132.

Ibid. p.132.

26

Figure 15: Albert Dock in 1930

Figure 14: Albert Dock in 2019

Figure 16: Albert Dock were silted up in 1982

Figure 17: Hartley Swing Bridge in 1984

Figure 18: Hartley Swing Bridge in 2019, being opened to allow boat to sail out

Figure 14, which was captured in the present day resembles the scenery of 1930 in figure 15. It was crammed with cargo ships, waiting for merchandise to be loaded and unloaded for global trading, whereas the present-day Albert Dock is only being used as a parking place for various kinds of cruise and ships. Since industrial buildings are substantial visual markers to collective memory that could allow direct engagement for future generations,59 such functions that echo the past is certainly better than the abandoned and silted up Albert Dock as captured in figure 16 because it provides the current generations a glimpse of the past while enabling them to engage with the present activities.

Besides, Hartley Swing Bridge in figure 17 was captured while restoration work was being done in 1984.

It is still being opened and closed to allow ships sailing in and out of the dock (figure 18), which is also analogous to the past that enables one to have a better understanding of how a dock function.

59

Barthel, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Getting in Touch with History: The Role of Historic Preservation in Shaping Collective Memoriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, p. 347

27

track of Liverpool Overhead Railway

Albert Dock Figure 19: Routes of Liverpool’s Overhead Railway circa 1948 adjacent to the Albert Dock evocation of Albert Dock’s former events that cease to exist in the present

Figure 20: Remains of the overhead railway in Museum of Liverpool

Figure 21: Comparison between generations before and after 1980 on the objects involved in Albert Dock’s Former Events

Comparison of memories description between two different generations

Figure 22: Comparison between generations before and after 1980 on evocation of Albert Dock’s former events that cease to exist in the present * each respondent might belong to more than one category in the description of their memories

28

When a single, preserved historic place evokes potential memories, such places begin to form a network that resuscitates social memory in a larger scale. 60 The data collected from the street survey has proven this theory since most of the participants involved were describing their experience encompassing not only Albert Dock, but also its surrounding area, or even Liverpool in general. It is quite expected that the context described by two different generations is distinctive since the place has changed over time.

However, it is particularly interesting to discover that a great number of the older generations would usually include Liverpool’s Overhead Railway while reminiscing their memories. It had actually been destroyed during WWII and was standing next to the Albert Dock (figure 19). Whereas the younger generations are either not aware of its former presence, or having little knowledge obtained through museum collections (figure 20). Although the railway is no longer standing on the site, the older participants would somehow nostalgically engage with the vividly remembered past which is not at all visible in the present. For instance, in the stories told by one of the participants:

The first time I came here many years ago, the overhead railway was still here […] Going on this overhead railway, being in an elevated position, you could see all the buildings and the dock. In the 50s and 60s, there were a lot of big ships, cargo ships. It was fascinating.61 Such memories which comprise of ‘overhead railway, the dockers’ umbrella’, description of scenery from the railway, ‘busy dock’, etc., are common in generations before 1980. They would point to the direction where the overhead railway was, and speak of the past as if it was still there. From the graph illustrated in figure 21 and 22, it is also evident that the former generations are often reconciling activities and elements of the past regardless of what is conserved or preserved. These findings have corresponded to the theory emphasized in the previous chapter that stated: place and object embodied with certain memories are only intelligible to those who have been through a similar moment. It has also answered the doubt questioned earlier regarding the needs of tangible remains in consolidating the social memory since the eradication of the historical object and its contexts have caused the younger generation to have no knowledge about its associated memories. Therefore, a historic built environment has often been referred as ‘historic fabric’ or ‘historic tissues’ which implies individual elements are interconnected and inseparable and that physical context is important to perpetuate the memory of a site. 62 In short, it is true that ‘places triggered memories for insiders, who have shared a common past, and at the same time, places can often represent shared pasts to outsider who might be interested in knowing about them in the present’, 63 with the latter particularly possible only if it still tangibly present.

60

Hayden, The Power of Place: Urban Landscape as Public History, p.78 Street Survey, conducted by author between 2 Aug 2019 and 7 Aug 2019, participant no. 51.

62 Melinda J Milligan, ‘Buildings as History: The Place of Collective Memory in the Study of Historic Preservation’, Symbolic Interaction, 30.1 (2007),105-123 < https://doi-org.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/10.1525/si.2007.30.1.105> (p.112) 63 Hayden, The Power of Place: Urban Landscape as Public History, p.46 61

29

6.2 Social Collective Memory By referring to the history of Albert Dock, the past social memory is collectively associated with global trading, slavery, stories of people escaping to America, lives of the dockers, and so on. This is profoundly substantial in defining stories of a place and identity of a community. Since these activities no longer occur, Nora has pointed that sites of memory do not produce spontaneous memory and thus, anniversaries, celebrations, archives and eulogies must be pronounced and created in order to ensure the continuation of memory.64 Various events in commemorating the past of Albert Dock have also been done in the conservation programme.

For example, Slavery Remembrance Day which is part of Walk of Remembrance, is a substantial event of International Slavery Museum (located in Albert Dock), for communities to visit locations connected to the trading as illustrated in figure 23. It is organized yearly since 2011 to remember the lives and deaths of millions of Africans enslaved during the transatlantic slave trades. 65 Figure 24 shows another example of the event during Remembrance Day. Besides, 75th May Blitz anniversary has been held at several locations including the Maritime Museum at Albert Dock; Piermaster House and National Museum of Liverpool, which are both situated next to the Albert Dock, for people to travel in time and commemorate the tragedy that had severely affected Liverpool.66 The commemorative activities involve playing videos that tell the stories of the people, workshops, and so on. All these are meant to socially pass the memories and history on to the next generations. And since they are mostly held on the street or outdoor area, they helps to refresh memories of communities who happened to pass by. It was argued that such organized walking tours and storytelling are effective approaches that would keep the stories alive and evoke the urban memory through communication and socialization of the community.67 It also helps the people who are never interested in visiting industrial museums or reading scholarly journals to understand past memories and history of the place.

However, out of 60 respondents interviewed, only half of them participated the commemorative events.

As illustrated in figure 25, their participation is mostly because of the interests in both the community gathering and history, rather than pure history itself. This indicates not only the importance of communities in attracting the public to remember the past, but also reveals the fact that engagement and remembrance of previous social collective memories are sometimes a choice that is chosen selectively by the communities. Regardless, such events are important to promote a sense of place and social cohesion by propagating the images and stories of the past, although the attempt could never be supported by everyone.

64

Nora, Between Memory and History: Les Lieux De Mémoire, p.12.

Liverpool City Council, ‘Walk of remem brance on 23 August’, Liverpool Express, 2016 <https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/walk-remembrance-23august/> [accessed 25 Sept 2019] 66 Catherine Jones, ‘Liverpool May Blitz remembered at city museums’, Echo, 2016 <https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/ liverpool-may-blitz-events-museums-11210957>[accessed 1 Sept 2019] 67 Aliaa AlSatady, ‘Historic Houses as Pillars of Memory: Cases From Cairo, Egypt’, Open House International, 43.3 (2018), 5-13, <https://searchproquest-com.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/docview/2131580853?accountid=13828> [Accessed 13 March 2019] (p.7).

65

30

INTERESTS OF PARTICIPATING THE EVENTS COMMEMORATING THE HISTORY

Figure 23: Route visited during the Walk of Remembrance

history 38% both 52%

community gathering 10%

Figure 24: Chief throwed a wreath into Canning Dock Figure 25: Fields of interests in participating from Albert Dock Conservation Area, during Slavery the events which commemorate the history Remembrance Day of the place

31

6.3

Connections of spatial & social collective memory In spite of all these conservations discussed, they are only a small part that celebrates the past of Albert Dock. In a bigger context, all the functions of the place have thoroughly been converted. Figure 26 shows the original floor plan of Albert Dock and its warehouses which have been converted into a tourist’s destination as shown in figure 27. Since its original functions are no longer relevant in the present, Merseyside Maritime Museum that houses International Slavery Museum, together with Tate Liverpool are introduced to occupy the former five-storey warehouses to secure active end users. As for the quayside level, it is filled with bars and restaurant.68 The Beatles Museum is also created to attract tourists. The building is currently fully occupied with offices, two hotels, apartments and has become a highly visited tourist attraction in Liverpool. 69

68 69

Albert Dock Liverpool, Albert Dock Lecture Series, 2017 Confino, ‘Memory and the History of Mentalities’, p.81.

32

Figure 26: Albert Dock’s Floor Plan in 1914 shows the building blocks are being used as warehouses

Figure 27: Illustration of Albert Dock’s Plan after Conservation

33

Besides, numerous events that have little or no relationship to the past of the dock have also been organized seasonally for commercial purposes. For instance, there are The Giants (figure 28), Floating Cinema (figure 29), Clipperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Race (figure 30) and so on. One of the earliest renowned events was the national TV programme as shown in figure 31, which is known as This Morning that used Albert Dock as a backdrop while the weatherman was standing on the floating map in the dock to report the weather. This has significantly helped to promote the newly regenerated Albert Dock especially when it was held in the same year when Albert Dock was just re-opened.

Also, River Festival as shown in figure 32, which is arguably the most prominent cultural event in Liverpool, is being held annually to animate the World Heritage Waterfront with various activities, such as musical shows, food and even events that are inspired by the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maritime history. Although all these events might not serve much in commemorating the past, it has certainly changed the role of this building forever and gives a profound impact on the collective memory of society.

Figure 28: The Giants

Figure 29: Floating Cinema

34

Figure 30: Clipperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Race

Figure 31: This Morning TV Programme

Figure 32: Merseyside River Festival

35

Reasons of visiting

REASONS OF VISITING ALBERT DOCK Albert Dock others 17%

The Beatles 4% Tate 5%

leisure 26%

museum 22%

attending event 9% sight-seeing 17%

Figure 33: Reasons of Visiting Albert Dock

Figure 34: Cycling activities in front of Merseyside Maritime Museum

Figure 35: Numerous visitors are chilling at the waterfront.

Figure 36: Food stalls in front of Merseyside Maritime Museum

The new function of the building and the diversity of the activities have attracted people for various reasons as illustrated in figure 33. Also, from my observation during this research (figure 34-36), numerous food stalls crowded with tourists are lining around the Albert Dock. Besides, some visitors were jogging, strolling around the waterfront and sitting on benches to enjoy the tranquil view. They are not attracted to the place because of the conservation programmes, but conservation is still the key reason since the presence of crowds will consequently attract more people to use the space. These have completely affected the engagement of the community with the building and at the same time, celebrating the place in a contemporary way.

36

Most Memorable Event

MOST MEMORABLE EVENT both 7%

historical 18%

none 42% non-historical 33%

Figure 38: percentage of repondents’ most memorable events

20

number of responses

18

From the survey conducted, it is apparent that some of the participants, particularly the younger ones, do not even have much memories in Albert Dock, as they were either tourists visiting the place for the first time, or visitors who simply visit Albert Dock for personal reasons as illustrated in ‘exploring the city history’ and ‘visiting Albert Dock for personal reasons’ in figure 37. Also, figure 37 is evidently showing that contemporary events and leisure are significantly occupying the memories of the community these days, including even the older generations. Even with a mix of both historical and non-historical activities offered, the majority of the people however regarded their most memorable memories either unrelated to the past of the place or none, as summarized in figure 38. Hence, it could fundamentally be deduced that the perception and meaning of the place have thoroughly changed since it is mostly about the new functions the dock is offering.

Comparison of memories description between two different generations Tourists that have no specific memories associated with Albert Dock

16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Evocation of evocation of Albert Contemporary memories involve Dock's former events occupied a larger context event that cease to parts of the exist in the present participants' important memories Generations before 1980

Memories attached with Albert Dock are ONLY the contemporary events.

tourists that wish Visiting Albert to explore the Dock for personal city's history reasons

Generations after 1980

Figure 37: Comparison of category of memories description between two different generations. * each respondent might belong to more than one category in the description of their memories

37

7.0

DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION ‘The built environment was a resultant of human needs’ and thus it is adaptively altered to cater to contemporary needs.70 It is apparent that the transformation of Albert Dock is a mediation between commercial aspects and historic elements, portraying an image between past and present. Instead of ships and cargoes, Albert Dock is about people now.71 Being commercialised has indeed transformed the role of the building and its consequent influences on communities’ collective memories, but it is certainly required to sustain the building. The opinion by one of the participants has essentially explained this situation:

If it is not commercialised, then the people won’t come. I mean there’s always a balance. I’d love to see some events that are actually genuine historical flavour but how many people actually come to it? The reality is if you are going to attract a range of people, you have to have a range of different activities. There are certain people who would always come to see some histories but it is about how to get other people interested and it’s by having that range of things.72 The truth is historical places are just like palimpsest, layers of memories would always layer against each other as time passes. The old one will not be remembered unless the new ones are made viable to the present needs while respecting the old. Therefore, the whole idea in conservation is apparent, which is to allow Albert Dock to be celebrated with contemporary activities that become a catalyst for bringing people together and consequently gain financial resources that would ensure the visibility of industrial past and maritime history in the form of built environment. It is acting as a device to remind the future generations why the docks were so important in the past. Since such docks are no longer needed in our modern world, not all spatial collective memories could be retained, especially when other factors such as financial situation, expectation of tourists, etc. have to be taken into consideration. Revitalisation in Albert Dock is therefore, a translation of the past and altered to be experienced in the present, with few of them still resonating from the past.

70

Ashworth, ‘Preservation, Conservation and Heritage: Approaches to the Past in the Present through the Built Environment’, p.2.

Ken McCarron and Adrian Jarvis., Give A Dock A Good Name (Liverpool: Merseyside Port Folios, 1992), p.2.

72 Street Survey, conducted by author between 2 Aug 2019 and 7 Aug 2019, participant no. 51.

71

38

Moreover, it is also clear from the analysis discussed that memories of the communities are mostly about present events. Stimulation of former memories only occurred to those who have been through the previous moment. Since Albert Dock is no longer functioning in the same way, what socially affects memories have inevitably changed despite its tangible presence. Hence, commemorative events are being held in an attempt to pass the memories on to future generations. Memory needs a context, but to live beyond a single generation, it is to be continued in the stories that we tell.73 Regardless, the community who has the artefact would always vary from the society who lives a similar artefact.74 Therefore, tangible presence is absolutely not being able to sustain every collective memory, but it is definitely significant for certain stories to unfold and memories to be consolidated in the future.

The surrounding context is also profoundly important to allow the current and future generations to have a better understanding of Albert Dockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s associated memories in the absence of all the previous activities. Since time passes and needs changes, people interact with the site differently but the stories continue to manifest socially and spatially. It is perhaps more precise to define collective memory as a dimension in which space and time are engaged distinctively with the shared embedded past.

In conclusion, a conserved site is playing the role of simultaneous remembering and forgetting. Spatial and social aspects have to act dependently to consolidate its collective memory. Since spatial collective memories evolve and change according to the current needs, whereas social memories are delicate and concerning only a certain group of people, conservation does not guarantee its continuation for the future generation. Yet, without conservation, the chances to pass the memories on to the future generations are almost impossible.

73

Kenny, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Place for Memory: The Interface between Individual and Collective Historyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, p. 421

74

Rossi and Eisenman, The Architecture of the City, p.33

39

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Image produced by the author. The data is summarised from: Historic England, Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance (London: English Heritage, 2008), pp. 27-32.

Figure 2: Image edited by the author. Source: <https://www.google. com/maps/place/Albert+Dock/@53.3996479,-2.995582,16.25z/ data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487b21f3e1f1bda7:0x8abd32d67a3ec784!8m2!3d53.3989625!4d-2.9932802> [accessed 11 Sept 2019] Figure 3: Image produced by author. The content is a summary from three sources: Tansley, Janet, ‘Nostalgia: The re-birth of the Albert Dock’, Liverpool Echo, <https://www. liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/nostalgia-re-birth-albert-dock-10020211> [accessed 1 Sept 2019] National Museums Liverpool, ‘History of The Albert Dock’, information sheet 2 (unpublished document, Maritime Archives & Library, MMM/DOCS/LR/13.2.04) National Museums Liverpool, ‘History of The Albert Dock’, information sheet 28 (unpublished document, Maritime Archives & Library, MMM/DOCS/LR/17.2.04) Figure 4: Image produced by the author Figure 5: Image produced by the author Figure 6: Image produced by the author Figure 7: Image produced by the author Figure 8: Image produced by the author Figure 9: Sedgwick, Elisabeth, ‘19 Albert Dock Photos Through the Year’, Signature Liverpool <https:// signaturesliverpool.co.uk/blog/19-historic-albert-dock-photos-you-need-to-see/> [accessed 25 Sept 2019] Figure 10: Merseyside Development Corporation, ‘Industrial Development Sites: Sefton Street Liverpool’, (unpublished document produced by Steve Roberts marketing, retrieved from Maritime Archives & Library) Figure 11: Photo captured by the author.

Figure 12: Photo captured by the author.

Figure 13: Merseyside Maritime Museum, ‘Liverpool’s docks and the May Blitz 1941’, Merseyside Maritime Museum, <https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/collections/boa/history/may-blitz. aspx> [accessed 1st Sept 2019] Figure 14: Photo captured by the author Figure 15: Ritchie-Noakes, Nancy, Liverpool’s Historic Waterfront: The World’s First Mercantile Dock System (London: H.M.S.O., 1984), p. 54 Figure 16: Courtesy of National Museum Liverpool (Merseyside Maritime Museum) Figure 17: Price, Mike, ‘Liverpool’s Iconic Albert Dock Through The Years’, Liverpool Echo, <https://www. liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/liverpools-iconic-albert-dock-through-10018293> [accessed 2 Sept 2019]

40

Figure 18: photo captured by the author Figure 19: <https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/99cmod/map_of_the_liverpool_overhead_ railway_circa_1948/> [accessed 28 Sept 2019] Figure 20: photo captured by the author.

Figure 21: Image produced by the author Figure 22: Image produced by the author Figure 23: Image edited by the author. Source: International Slavery Museum, ‘Walk of Remembrance’, National Museums of Liverpool <https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism/srd/walk-of-remembrancemap> [accessed 22 Sept 2019] Figure 24: Graves, Steve, ‘Slavery Remembrance Day in Liverpool’, Liverpool Echo, <https://www. liverpoolecho.co.uk/incoming/gallery/slavery-remembrance-day-in-liverpool-9913366> [accessed 29 Sept 2019] Figure 25: Image produced by the author Figure 26: Courtesy of Peels Ports Group (MDHB archive at National Museums Liverpool, Merseyside Maritime Museum) Figure 27: Image edited by the author. Source: Merseyside Development Corporation, ‘Industrial Development Sites: Sefton Street Liverpool’, (unpublished document produced by Steve Roberts marketing, retrieved from Maritime Archives & Library) Figure 28: Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, ‘Inspire Me. It’s a Giant weekend for Liverpool’, Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, <https://albertdock.com/inspire-me/it-s-a-giant-weekend-for-liverpool> [accessed 28 Sept 2019] Figure 29: Photo captured by the author Figure 30: The Guide Liverpool, The Clipper Race Returns: Round The world Yacht Race Gears Up For Liverpool Homecoming, The Guide Liverpool, <https://www.theguideliverpool.com/the-clipper-racereturns-round-the-world-yacht-race-gears-up-for-liverpool-homecoming/> [accessed 29 Sept 2019] Figure 31: Price, Mike, ‘Liverpool’s Iconic Albert Dock Through The Years’, Liverpool Echo, <https://www. liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/liverpools-iconic-albert-dock-through-10018293> [accessed 2 Sept 2019] Figure 32: Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, ‘River Festival Liverpool’, Visit Liverpool, <https://www.visitliverpool.com/whats-on/river-festival-liverpool-p412881> [accessed 29 Sept 2019] Figure 33: Image produced by the author Figure 34: Photo captured by the author Figure 35: Photo captured by the author Figure 36: Photo captured by the author Figure 37: Image produced by the author Figure 38: Image produced by the author.

41

BIBLIOGRAPHY Albert Dock Liverpool, Albert Dock Lecture Series, 2017 <http://albertdockinterpro.com/lecture/lectureseries-two/#1> [accessed 28 Mac 2019] Alfrey, Judith and Tim Putnam., The Industrial Heritage, managing resources and uses, (London: Routledge, 1992) AlSatady, Aliaa, ‘Historic Houses as Pillars of Memory: Cases From Cairo, Egypt’, Open House International, 43.3 (2018), 5-13, <https://search-proquest-com.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/ docview/2131580853?accountid=13828> [Accessed 13 March 2019] Ardakani, Maryam Keramati and Seyyed Saeed Ahmadi Oloonabadi ,‘Collective memory as an efficient agent in sustainable urban conservation’, Procedia Engineering, 21 (2011), 985-988 <https://doi. org/10.1016/j.proeng.2011.11.2103> Ashworth, Gregory, ‘Preservation, Conservation and Heritage: Approaches to the Past in the Present through the Built Environment’, Asian Anthropology, 10.1(2011), 1-18, <https://doi.org/10.1080/168347 8X.2011.10552601> Assmann, Jan, ‘Memory and the History of Mentalities’, in A Companion to Cultural Memory Studies: An International and Interdisciplinary Handbook, ed. by Astrid Erll, Ansgar Nünning, and Sara Young (Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, Inc.,2008), pp. 109-118. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Barthel, Diane, ‘Getting in Touch with History: The Role of Historic Preservation in Shaping Collective Memories’, Qualitative Sociology, 19.3 (1996), 345-364 <https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02393276> Bilsel, Can., ‘Architecture and the Social Frameworks of Memory: A Postscript to Maurice Halbwachs’ “Collective Memory”’. Iconarp International Journal of Architecture and Planning, 5.1(2017), 01-09, <http://dx.doi.org/10.15320/ICONARP.2017.14 > Boyer, M, Christine., The City of Collective Memory: In Historical Imagery and Architectural Entertainments (United States,The MIT Press, 1994) Chuah Say Yin, ‘Preliminary Dissertation Submission- ARC 556/566’ (unpublished dissertation draft, University of Sheffield, 2019) Confino, Alon, ‘Memory and the History of Mentalities’, in A Companion to Cultural Memory Studies: An International and Interdisciplinary Handbook, ed. by Astrid Erll, Ansgar Nünning, and Sara Young (Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, Inc.,2008), pp. 77-84. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Crinson, Mark, and others, Urban Memory : History and Amnesia in the Modern City. (Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2005) ProQuest Ebook Central.

42

Douet, James, and others, Industrial Heritage Re-tooled, The TICCIH guide to Industrial Heritage Conservation. (Lancaster: Routledge ,2016) Farahani, Leila Mahmoudi, Marzieh Setayesh and Leila Shokrollahi, ‘Contextualizing Palimpsest of Collective Memory in An Urban Heritage Site: Case Study of Chahar Bagh, Shiraz – Iran’, International Journal of Architectural Research, 9.1(2015), 218-231, <http://dx.doi.org/10.26687/archnet-ijar.v9i1.510> Forsyth, Michael, ed. Understanding Historic Building Conservation (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2007) ProQuest Ebook Central.

Graves, Steve, ‘Slavery Remembrance Day in Liverpool’, Liverpool Echo, <https://www.liverpoolecho. co.uk/incoming/gallery/slavery-remembrance-day-in-liverpool-9913366> [accessed 29 Sept 2019] Halbwachs, Maurice, On Collective Memory, trans. by Coser, Lewis A (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press,1992) Hayden, Dolores, The Power of Place: Urban Landscape as Public History (United States: The MIT Press, 1997) Hebbert, Michael, ‘The Street as Locus of Collective Memory’, Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 23 (2005), 581–596. <https://doi.org/10.1068/d55j> Henry, Gary T, ‘Practical Sampling’, in The SAGE Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods, 2nd ed (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009) pp.77-105. <https://dx-doi-org.sheffield.idm.oclc. org/10.4135/9781483348858.n3> Historic England, Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance (London: English Heritage, 2008) Jones, Catherine, ‘Liverpool May Blitz remembered at city museums’, Echo <https://www.liverpoolecho. co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/liverpool-may-blitz-events-museums-11210957>[accessed 1 Sept 2019] Kenny, Michael G, ‘A Place for Memory: The Interface between Individual and Collective History’ Comparative Studies in Society and History, 41.3 (1999), 420-437 <http://www.jstor.org.sheffield.idm.oclc. org/stable/179434.> [Accessed 25 July 2019] Latham, Derek, Creative Re-Use of Buildings, Volume I (Bath: Donhead Publishing Ltd, 2000) Liverpool City Council, ‘Walk of remembrance on 23 August’, Liverpool Express <https:// liverpoolexpress.co.uk/walk-remembrance-23-august/> [accessed 25 Sept 2019] Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, ‘River Festival Liverpool’, Visit Liverpool, <https:// www.visitliverpool.com/whats-on/river-festival-liverpool-p412881> [accessed 29 Sept 2019]

43

McCarron, Ken and Adrian Jarvis., Give A Dock A Good Name (Liverpool: Merseyside Port Folios, 1992) Milligan, Melinda J, ‘Buildings as History: The Place of Collective Memory in the Study of Historic Preservation’, Symbolic Interaction, 30.1 (2007),105-123 < https://doi-org.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/10.1525/ si.2007.30.1.105> National Museums Liverpool, ‘History of The Albert Dock’, information sheet 2 (unpublished document, Maritime Archives & Library, MMM/DOCS/LR/13.2.04) National Museums Liverpool, ‘History of The Albert Dock’, information sheet 28 (unpublished document, Maritime Archives & Library, MMM/DOCS/LR/17.2.04) Nora, Pierre, Between Memory and History: Les Lieux De Mémoire, Representations, 26(1989), 7-24 <doi:10.2307/2928520.> Price, Mike, ‘Liverpool’s Iconic Albert Dock Through The Years’, Liverpool Echo, <https://www. liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/liverpools-iconic-albert-dock-through-10018293> [accessed 2 Sept 2019] Ritchie, Jane and others, Qualitative Research Practice: A guide for Social Science Students and Researchers, 2nd edn (Los Angeles: Sage, 2014) Ritchie-Noakes, Nancy, Liverpool’s Historic Waterfront: The World’s First Mercantile Dock System (London: H.M.S.O., 1984) Rossi, Aldo and Peter Eisenman, The Architecture of the City, trans. by Ghirardo, D., Ockman, J (New York: The MIT Press, 1982) Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, ‘History’, Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, <https://albertdock.com/history> [accessed 1 Sept 2019] Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, ‘Inspire Me. It’s a Giant weekend for Liverpool’, Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, <https://albertdock.com/inspire-me/it-s-a-giant-weekend-for-liverpool> [accessed 28 Sept 2019] Sak, Segah and Burcu Senyapili, ‘Evading Time and Place in Ankara: A Reading of Contemporary Urban Collective Memory Through Recent Transformations’, Space and Culture, (2018), 1-16 < https://doi-org. sheffield.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/1206331218764334> Sedgwick, Elisabeth, ‘19 Albert Dock Photos Through the Year’, Signature Liverpool <https:// signaturesliverpool.co.uk/blog/19-historic-albert-dock-photos-you-need-to-see/> [accessed 25 Sept 2019] Street Survey, conducted by author between 2 Aug 2019 and 7 Aug 2019 Tansley, Janet, ‘Nostalgia: The re-birth of the Albert Dock’, Liverpool Echo, <https://www.liverpoolecho. co.uk/news/nostalgia/nostalgia-re-birth-albert-dock-10020211> [accessed 1 Sept 2019]

44