We plan to consider the relationship between classical collections (of statuary, coins, architectural fragments or archaeological material ), their historical context at key points in the formation of the British country house and its setting, and their present survival as historic collections.

Questions we hope to address include: Do these collections acquire new meanings for each generation? Are they necessarily ‘closed collections’ in the range of meanings they can support today? How do we respond to themes of nation, identity and memory, for instance, as part of the cultural work produced by their historic owners? Please email your proposal (with a brief abstract) to Susie West (S.West@open.ac.uk) or Janet Huskinson (J.A.R.Huskinson@open.ac.uk) by 1 September 2008.