ABSTRACT
This opening section introduces John Ruskin and the rationale for a fresh view of a well-known figure in conservation history. It aims to take a closer look at his writing and how it resonates with contemporary conservation thinking. Ruskin's achievement is generally very thinly represented in accounts of the history of heritage conservation practice and this series of essays will provide a richer description of cultural context and meaning than is usually afforded to Ruskin's work in current heritage conservation scholarship. It explores how a reading of Ruskin for his transformative thinking – the visionary thinking that transcended the limits of his Victorian world view – might encourage us to think differently around contemporary conservation and heritage issues. Lastly, the volume includes some longer extracts from Ruskin's writing and lectures and has the ambition to re-introduce the habit of actually reading and reflecting directly on Ruskin's own words. These extracts are appended to each of the six essays that follow, briefly described here.
