Location
The London Archives
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.
The talk will be followed by an audience Q&A.
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 internet memes and 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.
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