Description (January 15, 2007)

Images of Empire - This online collection of the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum's Commercial Archives Department is an archive comprising over one million still images and 400 hours of film footage, dating from circa 1860 to the present day. Its images provide a range of perspectives on the British Empire & Commonwealth and cover a variety of topics across a diverse range of countries. Key themes include colonial life, indigenous cultures, political and royal events, wars and conflicts, notable personalities, ceremonial and sporting occasions, industrial and commercial activities, and labor and leisure.

Site in Depth / Curriculum Integration

• Why did Britain become an Empire? Use a mind mapping tool such as Inspiration to brainstorm and create a graphic diagram.
• Collect images representing your areas of study of the British Empire. Research and present a more complete history of these images. Present in a cohesive report for the class.
• Choose still images or video that describe life during the British colonial period. Use Powerpoint to present.
• Compare life during British colonial empire with life in those countries presently. Questions to research and report - Did those cultures benefit in any way from British rule? How do you think they might have developed if they were never a part of the Empire.
• What factors caused the end of the Empire? Use a graphic organizing tool such as Inspiration to brainstorm and create a diagram.