Blood and Bronze as history in public discourse: a critical analysis

Docherty, Paul McKendrick (2023) Blood and Bronze as history in public discourse: a critical analysis. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

The continued presence of the Benin Bronzes in London and other cities of the rich world remains controversial and contested, arguably in large part due to the absence of an authoritative account of the 1897 British invasion of Benin, when they were taken as booty. The author’s recent book Blood and Bronze: the British Empire & the Sack of Benin (Hurst & Co, 2021) set out to rectify that deficit and to contribute to the active public discourse surrounding the artworks and closely related issues of the representation of colonial history. Based on extensive new research in the National Archives, the book aimed at combining rigorous historical methodology with public accessibility.

This critical analysis first examines the context of museum politics and the repatriation debate, showing how the Bronzes have assumed an ideological role since their arrival in Britain. It then considers the historiography of the 1897 invasion, and highlights some of the problems arising from the lack of a definitive account, including the misrepresentation of historical events even in recent official statements. The book is then assessed in light of the existing historiographical deficits, and it is argued that it has successfully filled the gap, as well as making a series of additional archival discoveries and reinterpretations of events; these include new material concerning the brutal wrongdoing of Consul George Annesley in Old Calabar, the mechanics of imperial power in the Niger Delta, the neglected West African career of Major Sir Claude MacDonald, and several other issues. The academic and public reception of Blood and Bronze is then summarised, before some consideration of possible textual development (including a comic book adaptation) and future research areas. This critical analysis concludes by submitting that Blood and Bronze can serve as an authoritative account of the British invasion of Benin.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of History
Depositing User:	Nicola Veasy
Date Deposited:	12 Nov 2024 11:26
Last Modified:	12 Nov 2024 11:26
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/97637
DOI:

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