Context 163 - March 2020

C O N T E X T 1 6 3 : M A R C H 2 0 2 0 7 contentious matter when repair and alterations are being contemplated to fabric that is itself the result of reuse, and for which the phrase ‘forming part of the narrative’ is sometimes lazily or unthinkingly applied.The author notes that while spolia is an established subject of international academic study, Britain hardly ever features, apart from, for example, a few studies of Roman material in early medieval churches. Consequently such re-use is often considered to have stemmed from purely economic or utilitarian motives. Heaton provides three case studies from Somerset and Dorset to demonstrate the re-use of non- utilitarian building components and architectural details during the 17th and 18th centuries. He suggests that, in addition to their architectural function as spolia, the supply and use of such materials also functioned as mediums of knowledge transfer and social cohesion.The author emphasises that the examples cited go well beyond whimsy or simple economic utility, with our ancestors being motivated by higher values than mere secular economic rationalism. He concludes that their buildings are the largest and most complex evidence of this, and it deserves thorough investigation where it arises. He contends that, in addition to their architectural function, spolia and other forms of such salvage had additional significance as a medium of social exchange and knowledge transfer, particularly in an age where drawings or publications were not considered an appropriate or necessary way of disseminating this sort of information.This thought- provoking paper is worth reading. Among a wide range of other papers in this issue are one that examines the carpenter’s secrets and skills in traditional woven-arch bridges in southeast China; one on the connection between the zipper gaskets used in cars and those used in curtain walls used in commercial buildings in the 1950s; and a historical review of the insights to be gained for western architecture from the earthquake resistance of Japanese traditional buildings. TheVictorian TheVictorian , the magazine of the Victorian Society (No 62, November 2019) introduces another five YoungVictorians, cited as ‘the new generation of champions and experts on the built and artistic heritage of theVictorian and Edwardian age’. They are pictured together on the steps of the Albert Memorial.This reviewer is left wondering how the conversation between them must have gone. Charlene Cross, an MA student in urban conservation, is quoted as saying that ‘for domestic- scale architecture,Victorian terraces should be retrofitted and allowed to have uPVC windows installed.’ Meanwhile Declan Cahill, a historic buildings advisor, says that ‘in so many places, we are slowly chipping away at the authenticity of our historic buildings – for example, it saddens me to see the windows being ripped out of Victorian terraces and replaced with uPVC.’ No consensus there then. Elsewhere in the issue Charles Wagner gives his take on the opportunities for heritage-led regeneration, from the town schemes of the late 1970s through to the present heritage action zones. SPAB Magazine Two things that are noticeable about the latest SPAB Magazine (Winter 2019) are its reversion to the smaller A4 format, last seen in the January 2000 issue and that it features Marcel Breur’s 1966Whitney Museum of American Art in NewYork (now part of the Met).This reviewer wonders exactly where the society’s magazine is currently heading, seeing that this issue also focuses on a history of concrete; the Grade II* Castle House, Bridgewater, Somerset, Britain’s first Victorian folly; and a discussion of concrete skateboarding parks. APT Bulletin One is never left in doubt about the direction of APT Bulletin (Vol L, Nos 1 and 2, 2019) in the relentless advancement of technical excellence. Anyone with an interest in historic stone paving surfaces, notably granite, may gain insights from Richard Pieper’s discussion of the use of Maine granite in the streets of Lower Manhattan, not least in his consideration of their supply, construction and tooling. Similarly, those with an interest in the historic sash locks and fasteners that notably add to the appearance of, and provide dating evidence for 17th and 18th century windows, will find Steven Stuckey’s well- illustrated article on early US brass sash locks informative, as the fittings are applicable to the UK and not much studied.The author points out that in post-revolutionary America, sash-window technology was still very much rooted in what the industrial revolution of Great Britain would supply through international trade. Sash locks and fasteners involving innovative processes in