via britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk
Morning all, just wanted to draw this to your attention. I've put up a post over at the British Library Americas blog and wanted to share it with you here. Two reasons for this, first, to promote an event I'm hosting on Monday and, second, to talk about the above image.
First, the re-blog is talking about a show and tell I put together with other Library colleagues for Black History Month. The event showcased the Library's African, Caribbean and South Asian collections while attempting to illustrate the connections that exist between them. There's more available via the link above. I also put the post up as I'm hosting an event called 'Our Memories of the Uprisings' at the Library on Monday (25th October) eve.
The event draws together a panel and members of the public who experienced the unrest in Brixton, Toxteth, St. Paul's and other sites in the U. K. during the 1980's. The evening should be very interesting, especially as many of the issues at the heart of the 1980's unrest are still relevant today. If you'd like to come you can order tickets here.
Lastly, this being Unfinished Worlds I wanted to talk about the image above. The illustration was produced by William Clark, an artist and plantation manager in the 1820's. Clark stood to loose much from the changes being wrought in the Caribbean as the slave trade was abolished and slavery itself was wound down. In reaction to this he was one of a number of individuals seeking to articulate a counter-narrative to that of the abolitionists, asserting that slavery was not as bad as portrayed. As part of this process he produced a series of views of Antigua, of which the above is one.
Exterior of the Boiler House is striking in this context as it was meant to make the structure look like something other than the hell hole it was. These were infernal spaces, characterised by crippling heat and unimaginable industrial accidents - as the abolitionists noted the prce of sugar was high, paid for dearly in blood. This image stands out to me therefore as even though it is highly idealised by Clark it still looks like hell, with fires buring into the darkness and labour toiling infernally through the night.
Less than twenty years prior William Blake had invoked the imagery of 'dark satanic mills' back in England. The fact that Clark's idealised vision of the boiler house in Antigua still resonates with this is indication of just how violent that space must have been.