Most Elitist
Shorthand Bible
Both this bible and shorthand as a language, in addition to other objects written by Rich were extremely exclusive – the later was seen by some as a sign of intellect and class, and was often used as a pastime by the nobility, as they tried to crack the codes of the language. Rich gives his objects themselves a similar elitism: in terms of materiality, the books are produced with black morocco bindings, gilded frames, and marbled end-pages, while the case has a velvet inner lining. Moreover, the fact that they were only sold in one shop (and at the not particularly humble location of Vinters Hall, at that) meant that the objects were wholly exclusive. In fact, Rich goes as far to dedicate the books in part to the Duke of Buckingham, giving it further links to the nobility, especially significant given the book’s context as a precursor to the Restoration. The Bible was written for the educated classes, in a time when education was a pursuit of the rich; and this along with its price would have made this object entirely elitist.
Sun Signal
The sun signal was a symbol of elitism as it was equipment needed for a rich man’s hobby. It was designed to assist men, and only men, who had secure enough finances to not need employment, and could afford to travel the world. Galton was able to invent the sun signal because his father left him a large inheritance which enabled him to travel the world. It was also enough for him to never need to work for anything other than pleasure. The sun signal was invented on an expedition sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society, an elitist organisation only accepting men of a certain social class. Also, Galton’s wife was not permitted to travel with him, so these travels were a symbol of gender elitism.
Termite Specimen
The termite specimen was initially only available to collectors of natural history, at the time a growing but niche field, then exclusively to university students. Even now, the termite specimen retains connotations of elitism. It is housed in a university collection, open to members of the public but accessible in a way that sparks interest only if the viewer has prior knowledge of the insect and her function in the colony. Colonial, late nineteenth to early twentieth century, West Africa was where the specimen was acquired, and only elite collectors with links to the African continent, and funds to travel there would have been able to get hold of such specimens.
Less Elitist
Floor Tile
The floor tile itself is a standard everyday object from Roman Britain. More sophisticated mosaic tiles, often decorated with elaborate designs, were found in public as well as private spaces. Tiles were all unique, each built by a individual who stamped their name to advertise their skills and their business. On military bases, tiles were made by those in the Roman Army. The tile does not reflect the elitist Roman society. The vastness of their Empire shows Rome’s superiority to surrounding nations: the Celts were seen as inferior and the Gauls as barbaric savages. Roman Britain was considered elitist, as Latin was imposed upon newly conquered lands, and Roman Gods introduced to societies. We can relate this to events hundreds of years later: English people rebelled against religious ideas and Latin texts, and return to the Ancient Greek Scriptures to create a new translation of the Bible. The floor tile shows us a side of society in Roman Britain that was not elitist and advertised the skills of ordinary citizens.
Minitel
The Minitel was not exclusive to the elite or wealthy: in fact, some argue that France Telecom 'democratised information' by loaning the terminals to users free-of-charge upon request. By the end of 1985, 1.3 million terminals were in operation. Initially, the terminals were distributed as a means of accessing an electronic telephone directory, in order for France Telecom to cut down on the printing costs of producing paper phone books. The system quickly expanded to encompass a range of services, including checking the weather forecast, making reservations and buying tickets 'on-line'. The widespread availability of the Minitel contrasts with early computers, to which access was restricted to those who could afford one.However, the Minitel was only ever widely available in France, so access to these services were limited to those on the French telecommunication network. When the Minitel was removed from service in 2012, many people were left unwilling or unable to modernise to computers and were therefore cut off from some services, perhaps showing that the end of the minitel caused more elitism.