Is the row about Jane Austen anything more than a storm in a teacup? Rebecca Nicholson © Provided by The Guardian Photograph: Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy
There is an old meme of a wonky coat hook, its “fists” raised, with the caption “drunk octopus wants to fight” and, increasingly, when I read yet another story in which historical institutions are attacked for talking about history, this is the image that comes to mind. Put ’em up, facts. Let’s take this outside.
After Richard Deverell, the head of Kew Gardens, had to fend off critics accusing him of “preposterous posturing” for acknowledging Kew’s roots in colonialism and changing display boards to give more information on the history of its collections, and after the head of the National Trust, Hilary McGrady, had to defend what she called “telling really interesting stories about our properties”, which includes information about how the slave trade funded the building of some of those
Nonsense and Insensibility - LewRockwell
lewrockwell.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lewrockwell.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Letters: Heating and car-charging adaptations will cost a household £20,000
telegraph.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from telegraph.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.