The 20th century was a time of rapid growth, technological advancement, and political upheaval, resulting in a proliferation of new buildings, cities, and landscapes. However, the existence of so many potential heritage places from the 20th century can make it difficult for professionals to determine what is significant and why. This publication provides a structure to help users identify and assess 20th-century heritage, which is often the first step needed to conserve and sustain these places.
The publication uses broad thinking to identify the principal social, technological, political, and economic drivers that shaped the 20th century globally, and these have been distilled into ten succinct historic themes:
- Rapid Urbanization and the Growth of Large Cities
- Accelerated Scientific and Technological Development
- Mechanized and Industrialized Agriculture
- World Trade and Global Corporations
- Transportation Systems and Mass Communication
- Internationalization, New Nation-States, and Human Rights
- Conserving the Natural Environment, Buildings, and Landscapes
- Popular Culture and Tourism
- Religious, Educational, and Cultural Institutions
- War and its Aftermath
Thematic frameworks are already being used to identify and assess heritage places in countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, as well as internationally by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites), and other heritage organizations.
This new publication meets a global need by creating a thematic framework for assessing 20th-century heritage. Previous Getty initiatives such as the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative and Keeping It Modern have addressed these issues using international conservation management planning and grant funding, respectively.
The publication is offered for free and can be utilized and adapted by anyone involved in heritage conservation around the world.
This publication was commissioned by the Getty Conservation Institute, working in collaboration with the ICOMOS 20th Century Heritage International Scientific Committee.