Introduction

In 1861, when Prince Albert died and Queen Victoria entered her permanent state of mourning, memory became enshrined in British culture. Its process of symbolization had been firmly inscribed a few years earlier, with the publication in 1850 of Victoria’s favourite book, In Memoriam. The enculturation of memory is thus firmly established by mid-century, but its usefulness as a metaphor stretches back into history; indeed, its use as history is one of the focuses of this collection. Memory in the nineteenth century takes on a variety of guises and reflects a number of needs; as a political and literary marker of custom and continuity, it functions to capture, represent, and symbolize that which is always in danger of being lost. As the essays in this collection argue, memory itself can be seen as a defining sign of the period 17891914, bookended by war, revolution, change, and loss.