Now representing the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum
The British Empire & Commonwealth Museum's award-winning collections are a national treasure that have recently been taken over by Bristol City Council and will be put on show at the City Museum. Built up over a period of ten years, the image collections held by the Museum mostly comprise donations from families who lived and worked in the former British colonies and subsequent Commonwealth. Dating from circa 1860, thousands of rare photographs, relics and costumes provide a range of perspectives on the British Empire & Commonwealth.
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· Colonial life · Indigenous cultures · Political and Royal events · Wars and conflicts · Ceremonial and sporting occasions · Industrial and commercial activities · Work, rest and play |
Revisit Britain's Colonial Past
One of the reasons for the expansion of the Empire was to find new trading routes and luxury goods.
Images catalogued so far from the collection include postcards celebrating the expanse of the railways and ship building.
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The Commonwealth: After the Second World War and the Indian Independence in 1949, the British Empire evolved into the ‘Commonwealth of Nations’, a phrase used to describe the new relationships between Britain and increasingly self-governing colonies. The British Commonwealth still continues its legacy today with an association of 54 independent member states, aiming to promote peace, democracy and development. Looking for more images? From posters designed by the Empire British Marketing Board to promote trade and maps detailing the expansion of the colonies, to images of slavery and oppression, Bridgeman's collections offer insight into both the conflicting and connecting cultures across the Empire. If you are working on a project and need help sourcing a specific image, email us at sales@bridgemanart.co.uk |
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View all images from the British Empire and Commonwealth museum currently online
