Beloved Beasts: Reflections on the History and Impact of the British “Animals in War” Memorial

Abstract

This article focuses on the creation and public reception of the Animals in War Memorial, unveiled in London in 2004. Using Wendy Griswold’s multi-pronged methodology for examining cultural history, it focuses on understanding the memorial’s “intention,” “reception,” “comprehension,” “explanation” and “validity.” After reconstructing the social agents’ intentions in creating the memorial, it analyzes its consumption by the observers and onlookers. It then interprets the memorial through the lens of the broader symbolic framework. Finally it returns to the creators of the Animals in War Memorial to assess whether the interpretations of their actions correspond with their original conception and comprehension of the memorial.