Stonehenge has stood in the English countryside for 5,000 years, but over the millennia its fortunes have repeatedly risen and fallen.
After starting life as a religious site, the stones became a crumbling and neglected relic - before becoming one of the world's top tourist attractions in more recent times.
Now a new English Heritage exhibition reveals the extraordinary history of Stonehenge, and the different ways it has been interpreted by millions of visitors.
The display includes the first ever Stonehenge guidebook, a vast of array of tourist mementoes branded with a picture of the stones - and an LP by parody metal band Spinal Tap, who introduced the monument to a new generation.
The special exhibition opens tomorrow and will run until 31 August at the Stonehenge visitor centre. It celebrates both the changing ways in which Stonehenge has been experienced by its many visitors, and its status as a world-wide icon, through historical souvenirs, guidebooks, postcards and photographs.
From crumbling Victorian curiosity to one of the world's most visited tourist attractions: How Stonehenge's star rose again
Stonehenge dates back as far as 3,000BC but its fortunes have varied
It was neglected for centuries before being resurrected as a major attraction for visitors around the world
New exhibition reveals different ways tourists have reacted to Stonehenge
Includes items from antique postcards to souvenir tat and novelty records
By Hugo Gye for MailOnline
30 April 2015
Daily Mail
Stonehenge has stood in the English countryside for 5,000 years, but over the millennia its fortunes have repeatedly risen and fallen.
After starting life as a religious site, the stones became a crumbling and neglected relic - before becoming one of the world's top tourist attractions in more recent times.
Now a new English Heritage exhibition reveals the extraordinary history of Stonehenge, and the different ways it has been interpreted by millions of visitors.
Historic: Stonehenge has had a varied history since it was first constructed 5,000 years ago
Pioneering: This guidebook to the site was published in 1823 and is believed to be the first ever written
History: A new exhibition on the way visitors have experienced Stonehenge features this montage of photographs among many other exhibits
A set of dominoes featuring the famous monument on the box
The display includes the first ever Stonehenge guidebook, a vast of array of tourist mementoes branded with a picture of the stones - and an LP by parody metal band Spinal Tap, who introduced the monument to a new generation.
The earliest construction at Stonehenge, located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, dates back as far as 5,000BC, with the stones that still stand erected over the following millennium.
According to English Heritage, which now runs the Neolithic site, the area attracted visitors from Roman times, with medieval Britons regarding it as a wonder of the world.
In the Victorian era, the stones became neglected, with many of them lying on the ground and tourists allowed to clamber over them at will.
However, that was also the time when their possible value as a money-spinner was first recognised - in 1823, Henry Browne published a guide book titled 'The Unprejudiced, Authentic and Highly Interesting ACCOUNT which that Stupendous and Beautiful Edifice STONEHENGE in Wiltshire is found to give of itself.'
Unorthodox: This Is Spinal Tap LP, from 1984, is one of the more bizarre objects featured in the Stonehenge exhibition
Entrance: Visitors first had to pay to see Stonehenge in 1901; these tickets costing 3d and 6d date back to the 1930s
View: A tinted photograph of the site provided a memento for early visitors to Stonehenge
Following the literal reading of the Bible which was common at the time, Browne announced that Stonehenge must have been one of the few manmade sites to have survived Noah's flood.
In 1901, the site's custodians imposed an entry charge for the first time to pay for the costs of maintaining the stones and hiring a guard.
The new exhibition, titled Wish You Were Here!, features a montage of postcards from the early 20th century - but one shows how some visitors were less than impressed, with a tourist writing that the monument was 'not as large as I expected'.
Stonehenge became one the main centres of New Age religions, with self-professed pagans and druids, but this led to conflicts between those who wished to preserve the stones and people who regarded them as a living religious site.
The area was roped off in 1977 to prevent any further damage to the monument caused by over-eager visitors, but after a series of highly publicised protests English Heritage now allows enthusiasts to clamber over the stones during the Summer and Winter Solstices.
Taking advantage: A ceramic jar from the 19th century posted with a view of the Stone Age monument
Tat: A fork with a model of Stonehenge at the end of its handle is an example of the unusual souvenirs produced over the years
At the same time, Stonehenge became an international symbol of the British past - and the new exhibition, which opens tomorrow, shows vividly how companies rushed to cash in on the monument's fame.
Included among the bizarre tat on display is a ceramic chicken with a picture of Stonehenge on it, a Stonehenge-themed letter opener and a game of dominoes with counters standing in for the stones.
Spoof rock band Spinal Tap made fun of the craze in a performance with an 18in model of the monument - and one of the band's LPs in the shape of Stonehenge is included in the exhibition.
Many of the exhibits are owned by archaeologist Julian Richards, who has spent much of his life collected memorabilia connected with the monument.
Wonder: By the early 20th century, when this postcard was written, the value of Stonehenge was widely recognised
Turnstiles: A local manning the entrance to Stonehenge in 1935, after it passed into the hands of the State
The exhibition is being held at the Stonehenge visitor centre near the monument from tomorrow until 31 August
'Anyone visiting Stonehenge today is part of a long tradition,' he said. 'I am fascinated by how Stonehenge has been experienced by visitors over the years and the way in which it has been used as an inspiration for art and music.
'I have been collecting "Stonehengiana" for years, and I am delighted that the collection is now to appear at its natural home. There are things here that I hope will make visitors smile.'
Stonehenge general manager Kate Davies said: 'We are very excited to launch Wish You Were Here! and tell the more recent history of Stonehenge - as the place visitors have long been inspired by.
'We want today's visitors to take away a real sense of fun from this exhibition and hope that they are inspired to share their experiences - whether by traditional postcard or by social media.'
HOW STONEHENGE DECLINED AND ROSE AGAIN TO ITS FORMER GLORY
c. 3000BC: Work begins on the Stonehenge site. The stones which stand there today were transported from Wales and erected over the following centuries.
1136AD: Author Geoffrey of Monmouth describes the legendary history of Stonehenge, claiming that it was built by Merlin using stones stolen by magic from Ireland.
1540: The land passes into the hands of Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford after being confiscated from Amesbury Abbey by Henry VIII as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
1824: The Antrobus family, from Cheshire, bought the land, developing it into a tourist attraction for the first time.
Ruins: The Stonehenge site pictured in the 1930s, before the stones were fully restored
1901: The owners charge an admission fee, to pay for the cost of maintaining and guarding the monument. An individual ticket now costs £15.50.
1915: Local man Cecil Chubb buys Stonehenge at auction for £6,600, giving it to the nation three years later.
1977: The stones are roped off in order to protect them, prompting furious rows between the Government and neo-pagans who claim the site is sacred to them.
1983: English Heritage takes over the management of Stonehenge.
2013: The A344, which ran very near to the monument and was thought by many to ruin the site's atmosphere, is shut down. A new visitor's centre opens one and a half miles away.
Wish you were here Exhibition - Coming Soon | English Heritage
Read more: How Stonehenge's star rose again | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
After starting life as a religious site, the stones became a crumbling and neglected relic - before becoming one of the world's top tourist attractions in more recent times.
Now a new English Heritage exhibition reveals the extraordinary history of Stonehenge, and the different ways it has been interpreted by millions of visitors.
The display includes the first ever Stonehenge guidebook, a vast of array of tourist mementoes branded with a picture of the stones - and an LP by parody metal band Spinal Tap, who introduced the monument to a new generation.
The special exhibition opens tomorrow and will run until 31 August at the Stonehenge visitor centre. It celebrates both the changing ways in which Stonehenge has been experienced by its many visitors, and its status as a world-wide icon, through historical souvenirs, guidebooks, postcards and photographs.
From crumbling Victorian curiosity to one of the world's most visited tourist attractions: How Stonehenge's star rose again
Stonehenge dates back as far as 3,000BC but its fortunes have varied
It was neglected for centuries before being resurrected as a major attraction for visitors around the world
New exhibition reveals different ways tourists have reacted to Stonehenge
Includes items from antique postcards to souvenir tat and novelty records
By Hugo Gye for MailOnline
30 April 2015
Daily Mail
Stonehenge has stood in the English countryside for 5,000 years, but over the millennia its fortunes have repeatedly risen and fallen.
After starting life as a religious site, the stones became a crumbling and neglected relic - before becoming one of the world's top tourist attractions in more recent times.
Now a new English Heritage exhibition reveals the extraordinary history of Stonehenge, and the different ways it has been interpreted by millions of visitors.
Historic: Stonehenge has had a varied history since it was first constructed 5,000 years ago
Pioneering: This guidebook to the site was published in 1823 and is believed to be the first ever written
History: A new exhibition on the way visitors have experienced Stonehenge features this montage of photographs among many other exhibits
A set of dominoes featuring the famous monument on the box
The display includes the first ever Stonehenge guidebook, a vast of array of tourist mementoes branded with a picture of the stones - and an LP by parody metal band Spinal Tap, who introduced the monument to a new generation.
The earliest construction at Stonehenge, located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, dates back as far as 5,000BC, with the stones that still stand erected over the following millennium.
According to English Heritage, which now runs the Neolithic site, the area attracted visitors from Roman times, with medieval Britons regarding it as a wonder of the world.
In the Victorian era, the stones became neglected, with many of them lying on the ground and tourists allowed to clamber over them at will.
However, that was also the time when their possible value as a money-spinner was first recognised - in 1823, Henry Browne published a guide book titled 'The Unprejudiced, Authentic and Highly Interesting ACCOUNT which that Stupendous and Beautiful Edifice STONEHENGE in Wiltshire is found to give of itself.'
Unorthodox: This Is Spinal Tap LP, from 1984, is one of the more bizarre objects featured in the Stonehenge exhibition
Entrance: Visitors first had to pay to see Stonehenge in 1901; these tickets costing 3d and 6d date back to the 1930s
View: A tinted photograph of the site provided a memento for early visitors to Stonehenge
Following the literal reading of the Bible which was common at the time, Browne announced that Stonehenge must have been one of the few manmade sites to have survived Noah's flood.
In 1901, the site's custodians imposed an entry charge for the first time to pay for the costs of maintaining the stones and hiring a guard.
The new exhibition, titled Wish You Were Here!, features a montage of postcards from the early 20th century - but one shows how some visitors were less than impressed, with a tourist writing that the monument was 'not as large as I expected'.
Stonehenge became one the main centres of New Age religions, with self-professed pagans and druids, but this led to conflicts between those who wished to preserve the stones and people who regarded them as a living religious site.
The area was roped off in 1977 to prevent any further damage to the monument caused by over-eager visitors, but after a series of highly publicised protests English Heritage now allows enthusiasts to clamber over the stones during the Summer and Winter Solstices.
Taking advantage: A ceramic jar from the 19th century posted with a view of the Stone Age monument
Tat: A fork with a model of Stonehenge at the end of its handle is an example of the unusual souvenirs produced over the years
At the same time, Stonehenge became an international symbol of the British past - and the new exhibition, which opens tomorrow, shows vividly how companies rushed to cash in on the monument's fame.
Included among the bizarre tat on display is a ceramic chicken with a picture of Stonehenge on it, a Stonehenge-themed letter opener and a game of dominoes with counters standing in for the stones.
Spoof rock band Spinal Tap made fun of the craze in a performance with an 18in model of the monument - and one of the band's LPs in the shape of Stonehenge is included in the exhibition.
Many of the exhibits are owned by archaeologist Julian Richards, who has spent much of his life collected memorabilia connected with the monument.
Wonder: By the early 20th century, when this postcard was written, the value of Stonehenge was widely recognised
Turnstiles: A local manning the entrance to Stonehenge in 1935, after it passed into the hands of the State
The exhibition is being held at the Stonehenge visitor centre near the monument from tomorrow until 31 August
'Anyone visiting Stonehenge today is part of a long tradition,' he said. 'I am fascinated by how Stonehenge has been experienced by visitors over the years and the way in which it has been used as an inspiration for art and music.
'I have been collecting "Stonehengiana" for years, and I am delighted that the collection is now to appear at its natural home. There are things here that I hope will make visitors smile.'
Stonehenge general manager Kate Davies said: 'We are very excited to launch Wish You Were Here! and tell the more recent history of Stonehenge - as the place visitors have long been inspired by.
'We want today's visitors to take away a real sense of fun from this exhibition and hope that they are inspired to share their experiences - whether by traditional postcard or by social media.'
HOW STONEHENGE DECLINED AND ROSE AGAIN TO ITS FORMER GLORY
c. 3000BC: Work begins on the Stonehenge site. The stones which stand there today were transported from Wales and erected over the following centuries.
1136AD: Author Geoffrey of Monmouth describes the legendary history of Stonehenge, claiming that it was built by Merlin using stones stolen by magic from Ireland.
1540: The land passes into the hands of Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford after being confiscated from Amesbury Abbey by Henry VIII as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
1824: The Antrobus family, from Cheshire, bought the land, developing it into a tourist attraction for the first time.
Ruins: The Stonehenge site pictured in the 1930s, before the stones were fully restored
1901: The owners charge an admission fee, to pay for the cost of maintaining and guarding the monument. An individual ticket now costs £15.50.
1915: Local man Cecil Chubb buys Stonehenge at auction for £6,600, giving it to the nation three years later.
1977: The stones are roped off in order to protect them, prompting furious rows between the Government and neo-pagans who claim the site is sacred to them.
1983: English Heritage takes over the management of Stonehenge.
2013: The A344, which ran very near to the monument and was thought by many to ruin the site's atmosphere, is shut down. A new visitor's centre opens one and a half miles away.
Wish you were here Exhibition - Coming Soon | English Heritage
Read more: How Stonehenge's star rose again | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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