‘Nostalgia. It ain’t what it used to be!’‘
Some things were better in the past.
I wrote this snippet for The “Good Tourism” Blog as one of three contributions to their latest GT Insight Bites series, this one on Nostalgia. I’ve an essay to follow on this, out soon.
‘Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be!’ is a corny joke, but there’s truth to it.
In the 18th century homesick troops were considered to be literally sick with nostalgia. Scientists speculated about the existence of a nostalgia ‘bone’.
From the 19th century, Romanticism placed nostalgia in a more positive light. It became associated with a longing for a connectedness to nature denied by modern society. Whereas the Grand Tourists of the 18th century had looked to the cultural treasures of the city, the Romantics of the 19th century were inclined towards the Swiss Alps as respite from the city.
Some things certainly were and others not so... Looking forward to reading more on the subject!