Perspectives of Devastation. The Museum of London, an exhibition of Second World War art and photography representing the devastated cityscape

In October 2016 I was interviewed on video for a film to be displayed during the exhibition. My contribution highlights the uncanny dimensions of the transformed Second World War city, the sensory geography of the bombed site and the melancholy of these images. While images of the bombed city are often used to accompany triumphant national celebration of a particular moment in British history, I argue that it is crucial to recognise the mourning and lamentation in these images too. In my video commentary, I help viewers to appreciate the emotional power of these images at the time and draw out parallels with contemporary urban devastation in war.