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The Historical Journal @historicaljnl.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

📣Out now on #firstview! Lewis Ryder @lewisryder.bsky.social (University of Lincoln) on 'The History and Legacy of British Colonial Looting' #Historiography #Review #Looting #Museums #Objects 18thc 19thc 🏛️🗃️ 👉Read open access here: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

This historiographical review surveys the scholarship on British colonial spoils of war, outlining and critically analysing the main arguments and approaches as well as the new directions taken by recent authors. Moreover, it seizes the opportunity to take stock of what we know to address one of the field’s main issues – its disjointed nature. Scholars have mostly focused on a particular object, collection, or war, and so our understanding has developed piecemeal. By producing something resembling a bird’s eye view of British colonial spoils in the long nineteenth century, this review outlines some broader patterns, change over time and across geographies, and identifies areas in need of further study. It does so by structuring the discussion around three key topics/approaches: practices, customs, and law; the social and cultural lives of loot; and the decolonial critique of museums.

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Thank you so much. Was a real labour of love. And pretty much took me a year longer than I anticipated!!

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

On my last count (Feb 2026) I'd read 160 secondary sources, but that was ages ago - I've lost count now. Of course I have not included all of them, but tried to identify the main ones. Apologies if I've missed any off! You can read the article, open access, here: doi.org/10.1017/S001...

doi.org

The History and Legacy of British Colonial Looting | The Historical Journal | Cambridge Core

The History and Legacy of British Colonial Looting

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This turned into a mammoth task as loot is an extremely popular topic. A few times I had to pause my writing to read a new book or article, and even now I've seen James Hevia has new book out soon. Oh well, I had to say 'when' at somepoint.

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

As I read more and more across the literature I saw the need for a historiographical review to not only outline the developments of a burgeoning field and point out gaps, but to flesh out the history of loot and looting, identifying patterns and change over time from what's already been written.

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

There's loads written, but its mostly in silos. Scholars have looked at looting in specific military campaigns but rarely zoomed out to analyse loot and looting across the century. This, I think, is mostly due to art historians bringing their expertise to certain objects.

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Proud of this one - my new article in The Historical Journal is out on first view. It's a historiographical review of the literature on British colonial spoils, or 'loot'.

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Well chuffed with this shout out! Thanks Craig

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

If anyone wants to chat more generally Leverhulme ECF - from applying to diff unis, to the actual app, just give me a shout!

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

ahhh am i glad to hear that!!! Thank you so much. I actually remember reading your chapter on representations of China in 19th-c London when designing the PhD proposal on Hilditch!

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Gareth Knapman @garethknapman.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

What role did colonial police play in the plunder of Australian First Nation Ancestors remains and material culture? Public lecture, ANU 23/6/2026 aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com

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Emma Martin @tibetcurator.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

This represents the first account of the Toshakhana or Treasure House, a colonial institution appropriated from earlier Indian and Persian practice. I argue that instead of solidifying regard it produced indifference to the gift & giver. A dream come true to publish in @pastpresentsoc.bsky.social

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Thanks Craig! Feels exciting but also daunting to release Hilditch into the wild. Hope your investigations into our mutual 'friend' & trickster EB are providing fruitful!

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Brace yourself for losing your mind, numerous times

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Fantastic. gotta hope your parents stashed them away somewhere.

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

huge congrats Sadiah! Hope all is well - was sorry to miss your talk in Lincoln

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

🚨 New book give away!!! 🚨 As my book Connoisseurs and Conmen is out a week today I'm running a competition, for students, inspired by the book's subject, the trickster John Hilditch. The winner gets a free copy of the book. @h-materialculture.bsky.social @manchesterup.bsky.social

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Open to undergraduate & postgraduate students, from wherever in the world (may live to regret that...) To enter send me a DM with your guess. Competition ends next Monday. The closest to the price wins (if more than one winner it'll be the quickest that wins). Please share across your networks!

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

In 1925 Hilditch gave an unspecified prize to punters who correctly guessed the value of one of his vases (see next post ). I want you to guess the price he said it was worth. A clue - he said his whole collection of 57,000 objects was worth £250,000, but later revised this to £2,500,000.

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lewisryder.bsky.social @lewisryder.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

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