Category: Academic
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An Aroma of Othering: Racialised Olfactory Politics and the Conditioning of Senses
The very concept of olfactory politics is deeply contentious. Harry Fry charts the historiography of olfactory racism, advocating for a history of scent which foregrounds racial histories and the history of emotions.
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The Role of Lourenço da Silva Mendonça in Challenging the Atlantic Slave Trade
When studying the key abolitionists of the Atlantic slave trade, we often think of European figures like William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp. However this negates the efforts of African individuals, such as Lourenço da Silva Mendonça, who made extraordinary efforts to combat the Atlantic slave trade. Louisa Steijger analyses Mendonça’s legacy in an…
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Brewing Cooperation: How Coffee Shaped the GDR’s Foreign Policy
By the 1970s, coffee was an integral part of the economy for the GDR. However, the Coffee Crisis of 1977 forced the GDR to reconsider their relations with other nations, namely Ethiopia and Vietnam. Connie Greatrix explores these new found trade partnerships and their implications.
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The Freedom of the North: The Rebirth of Nordism in Post-War Sweden
The idea of a pan-Scandinavian identity has existed from the medieval period to the modern day, but has never solidified under one institution. George Purdy explores the long history of Pan-Scandinavianism from Sweden and how it relates to mutual defense and security.
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Repatriating the Benin Bronzes: The Controversy Behind the British Museum
The repatriation of the Benin Bronzes, looted by the British in 1897, is crucial for restoring cultural heritage to Nigeria. Flora Gilchrist engages with this process, and why it should involve recognising the colonial history of these artifacts and fostering diplomatic efforts between the British Museum and Nigerian authorities.
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Mended Histories: The Emergence of Japanese Boro Textiles
Boro textiles are a traditional Japanese patchwork style popular among peasants in the Edo period (1600-1868). Eva Beere discusses how these garments represented class divides and connects with western ideas of thrift.
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Beyond Harlem: The Domestic and Transnational Impact of the Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a deeply impactful cultural and intellectual movement concerned with widening black consciousness. Edie Christian traces its various domestic and transnational ramifications.
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Rethinking a Contested Analytical Lens: The Evolution of Gender in Imperial Historiography
Since the 1970s, gender has been perceived as a crucial analytical lens. Angelina Castrucci provides a history, and critique, of a fixed framework of gender.
Retrospect Journal 