In the final episode in our series looking at the way history was transformed in the Romantic period, Neil MacGregor joins Rosemary Hill to discuss the circulation of artefacts throughout Europe in the years after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, and the growth of public collections. They consider how the questions that museums grapple with today – concerning ownership, restitution and the role ordinary people should play in the stories they tell – were inherent in their creation in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Other episodes in the series:
Image shows a postcard (c.1906) of Wellington's headquarters for the Battle of Waterloo. The area became a tourist destination immediately after the battle.
Buy Rosemary Hill's book, Time's Witness, directly from the London Review Bookshop here.
Subscribe to the LRB today and get 79% off the cover price, plus a free tote bag.
Music by Kieran Brunt / Produced by Anthony Wilks