A Rusty Issue; or, the Strange Case of a Victorian Crane in Venice
abstract
Industrial heritage is a type of built heritage that is often considered to be controversial as regards its preservation, because it challenges the traditional perception of heritage values. According to a specific country, culture or even to differing conservation professionals, industrial assets may be differently perceived. This paper discusses the reason why specific examples of material practice become heritage and what the role of society is in its perception. The heritage asset chosen to discuss the complexity of preservation in the case of industrial heritage is the Armstrong and Mitchell crane, standing in the middle of the Arsenale in Venice, which presents a curious case: a rare survival of an English asset in an Italian context that is likely to put its preservation at risk.
Keywords: Venice • Armstrong and Mitchell Cran • Identity formation • Industrial heritage • Arsenale