Curators’ Introduction to China’s Hidden Century

Useful online lecture from the British Museum introducing their current exhibition on China in the 19th century.

Jessica Harrison-Hall from the British Museum and Julia Lovell from King’s College London guided us through the history of the period from 1796 to the Revolution in 1912 focusing on how this era is often left out of histories of China and yet it was a period of turmoil and change.

They then led us though the main themes of the exhibitions and how they had picked a person to represent each one shown as a shadow silhouette in the show with a recording of their writings where appropriate. They explained how each one was picked.

I have since been to see the exhibition and will blog it soon. I found this introduction really useful as I didn’t know much about the period and knowing the themes was helpful in pacing myself around the show.

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