The Country House: Material Culture and Consumption

In the post-Downton Abbey era, the country house has been the object of renewed interest, both scholarly and popular. The chapters in this book examine the country house in terms of its material culture, its presentation to the public, and its function as both a quotidian and a historic space, investigating in detail the consumption practices of the elite. By looking at the country house as lived space, the authors pose questions about the accumulation and arrangement of objects, the way in which rooms were used and experienced by both owners and visitors, and how this sense of “living history” can be presented meaningfully to the public.