In this chapter, Mark Phillips focuses on the concept of historical distance. He defines historical distance as the complex effect of “formal, affective, ideological, and cognitive elements.” He identifies historical distance as never fixed nor static and as an important dimension to one’s relation to the past. Phillips uses textual and nontextual examples of historical representation, such as books and museums, to explore the importance of historical distance. He writes that historical distance is an overlooked dimension of historical thought, but because historical distance is not just received but constructed, it deserves more consideration than often given in discussions of historical consciousness.