It’s been some time since we ran our series of articles describing how staircases have engrained themselves in our culture, permeating in to our daily language and making their way into the books we read, the music we listen to and the movies we watch. Given the way in which they play such an important role in our day to day lives, we thought it would be worth revisiting this. It is a fascinating journey through both classic and popular culture guaranteed to make for some riveting reading!
The English language is melting pot of many influences, mainly from the Germanic languages introduced in the 5th-7th centuries AD from the German/Dutch regions. Add in more Scandinavian influences from the viking settlements in 7th-9th centuries and language from the Norman conquest in the late 15th Century together with the many influences from Greek and Latin and we arrive at the language we all use today. Consequently the terminology and common phrases around staircases are varied making their etymology is an interesting thing.
This stage of our Staircases in Culture Series celebrates the part staircases have played on the big screen. There have been many examples to choose from. Read all about our favourite staircase movie scenes or watch the video montage to see how many of the classic scenes you recognise:
The next stage in our Staircases in Culture series focuses on staircases in art. Artists though the ages have had a rich history of including staircases as you may imagine. This article will focus on some of our favourite pieces including artworks of cultural significance.
The creations of Maurits Cornelis Escher (17 June 1898 – 27 March 1972) are still widely enjoyed and never fail to fascinate and enthral. Despite having created a great number of lithographs, engravings, drawings and sketches, it is perhaps his experimentations with architecture, perspective and impossible spaces for which many of remember him. Learn more here.
Staircases have been around in one form or another for thousands of years and have become an integral part of our culture. In this article as part of our ‘Staircases in Culture’ series, we look at staircases in music – and we promise that at no point will we reference the pop group Steps!
Following our ‘Stair in Disbelief’ articles exploring some of the most vibrant staircases from about the world we are now looking forward to our ‘Staircases in Culture’ season. Throughout the coming weeks and months we will be publishing a series of articles on our news page exploring how staircases have permeated all aspects of our everyday lives and the arts. It promises to be a fascinating journey through both classic and popular culture so be sure you visit regularly for some riveting reading!
