logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
21m 27s

Constructing Coloniality: Statues and Em...

The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain
About this episode

This miniseries of the Architectural History podcast has been produced to mark the SAHGB Conference 2023: 'Constructing Coloniality: British Imperialism and the Built Environment'. The conference takes as its theme the coloniality of architecture and heritage in relation to the British Empire, from the early years of expansionism and the escalation of the slave trade in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, through the physical and political force wielded in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the development of racial capitalism, to the subsequent and ongoing struggles for independence, freedom and justice.
In this episode we spoke to Sonali Dhanpal about her research into a statue of Queen Victoria erected in Bangalore at the turn of the 20th century. The complex history of the statue speaks to the contested and anxious realities of imperial reification, all too often forgotten in contemporary debates about public statues and imperial legacies.
To support the work of the SAHGB, become a member: ⁠https://www.sahgb.org.uk/join-renew
This podcast is produced by Front Ear Podcasts

Up next
Jul 24
The Public Architect 2: Research, Experiment, Exchange
This is the second episode of our new miniseries 'The Public Architect', an RIBA funded project exploring the past and present of the relationship between the architectural profession and the public. In this episode we spoke to researchers Ruth Lang, Natcha Ruamsanitwong and Patr ... Show More
1h 14m
Jul 10
The Public Architect 1: Past and Present
This is the first episode of our new miniseries, The Public Architect, an RIBA-funded project exploring the past and present relationship between the architectural profession and the public sector.In this episode, we speak to the historian John Gold about post-war architecture in ... Show More
1h 15m
Sep 2024
Architecture and the Internet
In the final episode of our miniseries on Architecture & Media we discussed architectural criticism in the age of the internet, the shifting landscape of architectural discourse, and the new ways of thinking about the built environment that it has brought. Support the SAHGB by be ... Show More
48m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2021
Sathnam Sanghera on how modern Britain is shaped by empire
Sathnam Sanghera discusses where we can see the legacy of imperialism in Britain today – from politics and education to museums and multiculturalism    Journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera discusses his new book Empireland, which interrogates everything from the objects in our ... Show More
36m 44s
Jul 2021
68. The British Empire
The British Empire: good, bad or neither? And how does its legacy shape us today? Journalist Sathnam Sanghera, author of “Empireland”, joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to explore this timely, fascinating and hugely controversial subject. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Medi ... Show More
55m 3s
Nov 2022
18. The Empire Implodes
In the finale of our series on the British in India, William and Anita are joined by Sathnam Sanghera. With him they discuss the legacies of the Empire: how has it affected the politics, curriculum, and national institutions of modern Britain? To get your free two week trial for ... Show More
52m 45s
Jun 2023
The British Empire
<p>The British Empire was one of the most influential and far-reaching empires in history. Dan and his guest journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera remember school lessons on the small island that rose to global dominance. From the 16th century to the 20th century, the British Em ... Show More
25m 2s
Oct 2022
Empire: the big historical questions
There has been an absolute sea change in the study of empire in recent years. But what are the challenges of grappling with often difficult imperial history, and how does it shape our view of the world today? Professor Toby Green, Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh and Professor Olivette Ote ... Show More
52m 20s
Jan 2025
224. Empire in Your Garden
How did plants power imperialism? Gardening may be a quintessentially British hobby, but many of the familiar plants in our lives have a global – and colonial – history. From “fern-mania” leading wealthy Victorians to decimate environments around the world collecting ferns for t ... Show More
44m 32s
May 2025
255. Victorian Narcos: From Opium To Fentanyl (Ep 9)
What led to the Second Opium War? Why wasn’t China colonised by Europeans? When did China start referring to this period as the “century of humiliation” and how did this narrative shape nationalism in the 20th century? Anita and William are joined by Stephen R. Platt, author of I ... Show More
48m 19s
Sep 2022
6. Queen Elizabeth II & Empire
Anita and Willie are joined by David Olusoga for a special episode of Empire, where they discuss the Queen, the Commonwealth, the future of the monarchy and the long shadow of Empire. LRB Empire offer: lrb.me/empire Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Instagram: @EmpirePodUK Twitter: ... Show More
38m 33s
Dec 2020
Imperialism on the oceans
Professor Sujit Sivasundaram discusses his book Waves across the South: A New History Revolution and Empire, which rewrites the story of the British empire’s expansion across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, putting indigenous experiences front and centre. Hosted on Acast. See acas ... Show More
38m 14s