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The contribution that Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819-1861) made as a cultural transferant between Great Britain and the German lands has long been undervalued. Historiography has tended to overlook and/or systematically underplay Albert's role in British political and cultural life, although recent research has challenged this view. This study reassesses Albert's life and work and utilises cultural transfer theory to re-appraise his contribution to the development of contemporary British society. It analyses Albert's education, his collecting and working practices and the influences that shaped his role as Prince Consort. Central to the study is Albert's involvement in the Great Exhibition of 1851 and its aftermath. This study establishes Prince Albert as a major European cultural transferant, as demonstrated especially in the South Kensington complex of museums and other cultural institutions, also known as Albertopolis.
List of contents
IntroductionA. The Making of a Prince Consort: Prince Albert's BildungThe early years - The teenage years - Kavaliersreisen and Grand ToursB. Prince Albert's Collecting PracticesEarly Influences on Prince Albert's Collecting Practices - Prince Albert's (and Ernst's) Early Collections - Prince Albert's (and Victoria's) Collections in BritainC. The Basis for the Great Exhibition of 1851The (mixed) Reception of Prince Albert in Britain - The Royal Networker - Towards the Great Exhibition of 1851D. The Conception and Design of the Great Exhibition of 1851Precursors of the Great Exhibition of 1851 - The Concept of the Great Exhibition - Shaping the Great Exhibition - The 'Natural Feat of Engineering' and ist Interior Design - The Organisation of the Exhibition or 'The Great Job of 1851'E. The World Presents Itself: The Great Exhibition of 1851The German States' Contributions, including those of Coburg and Gotha - Albert and Victoria as Exhibitors at the Great Exhibition of 1851 - Hosting a World Event - London in 1851F. Cultural Transfer and the Legacy of the Great Exhibtion of 1851World Fairs - Albertopolis - The South Kensington PhenomenonEpilogueApendix A - DList of Illustrations, Bibliography, Index
About the author
Jana Riedel studierte Anglo-German Cultural Relations an der Queen Mary University of London und promovierte dort im Rahmen eines vom Arts and Humanities Research Council geförderten kollaborativen Doktorandenprogramms mit dem Victoria and Albert Museum. In ihrer Forschung etablierte sie Prinz Albert von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha als einen bedeutenden Akteur des europäischen Kulturtransfers. Seit Januar 2024 arbeitet sie als Virtual Production / XR Project Manager am Fashion, Textiles and Technology Institute, University of the Arts London. Zu ihren Forschungsinteressen gehören Kulturtransferprozesse, visuelle und materielle Kultur, Geschichte des Sammelns und DDR-Kunst und Kultur.
