The Monuments of Imperial London

Abstract

Monumental projects British social imperialists inaugurated at both Trafalgar Square and the Mall seem like the most obvious examples of imperial arrogance, examining the processes through which they were envisioned, planned, and realized reveals a deep insecurity, both about who Britons were as a people, and ultimately, where they stood in the world as a nation. It is exceedingly difficult to identify a specific, overarching vision from any one British official for either project’s realization precisely because there were so many competing interpretations of how social imperialists should monumentalize—not to mention the competing individuals themselves. Though this insecurity is probably not unique to Britain, I believe the ideological emptiness it betrays is unique to modern empire.