England: Emmalyn Bergman (Class Excursion)

Class Excursion 

While every class I’m taking has had a few excursions, the Weird Victorian class has by far the most. We’re out and about for the second half of every class, witnessing first-hand what we talked about only minutes before.

Our most recent journey was to Postman’s Park, a garden near St. Paul’s Cathedral. At first glance, the park is easy to miss. It’s surrounded by several-story buildings, fairly hidden from the street unless you know to look for it. Even upon entry, it still doesn’t seem like much, little more than a clearing of grass with a few benches. However, we are not here for the park itself. We are here for a wall of plaques in its corner. Postman’s Park is home to the Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice.

This memorial, consisting of dozens of engraved tablets, commemorates ordinary people who died saving someone else. Examples include 17 year old Elizabeth Boxall, who died trying to save a child from a runaway horse, 10 year old John Clinton, who drowned attempting to save a younger child, or 19 year old Amelia Kennedy, who died trying to save her sister from their burning house.

The majority of the plaques commemorate deaths from the 1880’s and 1890’s, making it a unique yet distinct example of Victorian culture. Despite its historical aspect, it is still an actively growing memorial, with entries from as recently as 2009.

I enjoyed this excursion not just because of the historical aspect, but because of its significance. It is such a remarkable and meaningful memorial that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Emmalyn Bergman

Major: Political Science and International Studies

Hometown: Oconomowoc, WI