Louise Tythacott granted Leverhulme Research Fellowship

Louise Tythacott , Professor of Curating and Museology, has been granted a Leverhulme Research Fellowship for the 2022-23 academic year for her project on ‘The “Summer Palace” Diaspora’.

The looting of China’s imperial ‘Summer Palace’ by British and French troops in 1860 is considered one of the worst acts of cultural vandalism of the 19th century and while bitterly remembered in China, it is not so well-known in the West. With the opening-up of China over past decades and restitution becoming increasingly significant for museums around the world, the time is ripe for an analysis of ‘Summer Palace’ material in the West. Based on a decade of detailed archival research , the project will break new ground by analysing the biographies of hitherto undocumented imperial collections from China.

The grant will enable Louise to conduct the final research and write a monograph.