Tracing the Bombsites of Bloomsbury, 1885-2005

Description

In the spirit of ‘A history of the world in hundred objects’, this talk presents the history of Bloomsbury in a dozen or so ‘bombsites’: the points of detonation but also the memorials, memories, marked masonry, and modern architecture that trace the long history of violence on the urban fabric.

Ranging from Air Raid Shelters to Zeppelins, these pin-points of violent heritage include the work of inept blackmailers, the (intellectual) birthplace of the atomic bomb, and the dramatic (in every sense) aftermath of the bombing of RADA during the Blitz.

Beginning and ending with accounts of terrorist attacks on the transport network, the talk offers a new perspective on the modern face of a historic district better known for its literary and artistic heritage.

Gabe Moshenska is Associate Professor in Public Archaeology at University College London where he teaches a module on the Archaeologies of Modern Conflict.

His research interests range wildly from gas masks and ghost stories to the contested reception of Milton’s theological writings in the nineteenth century. His fieldwork is focused on collaborative archaeology and heritage projects in Spain, Finland, Kenya and the UK.

Date

This event last took place on: Wed 15th Jan 2025

Location

The London Archives
40 Northampton Road
London
London
EC1R 0HB

Prices

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