Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 7:45pm
A padlock is a relatively mundane object, designed to fulfil a specific – and secular – purpose. However, a contemporary custom has given padlocks new significance. This custom is the love-lock, whereby padlocks are inscribed with names or initials, and locked onto public structures, in ritual declarations of love. Since the 2000s, this custom has emerged in locations as distant and varied as Paris and Taiwan; New York and Seoul; Melbourne and Moscow. Drawing on interviews with love-lockers and the material culture of the love-locks themselves, this talk will explore the seemingly worldwide popularity of the love-lock as a ritual token of love and commitment by considering its history, symbolism, and cultural heritage.
Dr Ceri Houlbrook is a Senior Lecturer in Folklore and History at the University of Hertfordshire, and Programme Leader of the Folklore Studies MA. She is also a Council member of the Folklore Society and editor of its newsletter. Ceri is primarily interested in contemporary adaptations of historic customs and creations of folklore, having published books on coin-trees, love-locks, concealed objects, and witch-bottles. In 2023, Ceri published her debut novel, based on her archival research into letters to Father Christmas: Winter’s Wishfall, published by Bonnier Books.
This is a free online lecture sponsored by the Hertfordshire Association for Local History, but you must reserve a ticket to attend. Tickets are available via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/unlocking-the-love-lock-a-talk-by-ceri-houlbrook-tickets-1203672339369
