Slavery in the Age of Revolution examines the Transatlantic Slave Trade at the turbulent end of the 18th century through the lens of Balliol College’s collections.
Taking the long view from 15th-century encounters between established African societies and emerging European nation states to the legacies of Transatlantic slavery in our present, it foregrounds narratives of resistance to slavery and the voices of enslaved people, as well as exploring how slavery was viewed by those consuming its products in Europe.
The exhibition is co-curated by Professor Marisa Fuentes (Associate Professor in History at Rutgers University and Oliver Smithies Visiting Fellow at Balliol 2019/2020), Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh (CUF Lecturer in Politics and Tutorial Fellow in Politics), Aishah Olubaji (Library team), Professor Seamus Perry (Massey Fellow and Tutor in English) and Naomi Tiley (Library team).
Saturday 11 September 11.00am‑4.00pm
Sunday 12 September 11.00am‑4–00pm
Wednesday 22 September 3.00–7.00pm
Thursday 30 September 11.00am‑4.00pm
Tuesday 19 October 3.00–7.00pm
Friday 29 October 11.00am‑4.00pm
Monday 15 November 11.00am‑4.00pm
Saturday 27 November 11.00am‑4.00pm
Open to the public on other weekdays by appointment until Friday 10 December. Please email library@balliol.ox.ac.uk to arrange an appointment and with any questions. Here is information about getting to the Historic Collections Centre.
A 50-minute video below has been produced to coincide with the exhibition and to serve as a discussion tool for the associated teachers’ project. The video narrates the story of the transatlantic slave trade through interviews with the exhibition’s co-curators alongside some of the exhibits. It also includes interviews with the Master and a member of Balliol’s Black and Minority Ethnic Society about what the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and the racial injustices associated with it mean for members of the College today. The exhibition and film are part of the ongoing Balliol and Empire project.
An exhibition catalogue is available as a PDF below (or a higher-resolution PDF for download). Physical copies of the catalogue will be available for sale at the exhibition for £5, payment by cash only.