Sun sets on the only museum dedicated to the British Empire because of the nation's dislike of colonial past





By
Mail On Sunday Reporter


PUBLISHED:

18:43 EST, 12 May 2012




UPDATED:

18:43 EST, 12 May 2012






Chairman: Sir Neil Cossons blames the closure on post-imperial angst

The country's only museum dedicated to the glories of the British Empire has closed for good.

The
British Empire and Commonwealth Museum has been forced to sell its
premises in Bristol and give up its collections because of public
antipathy towards the country's colonial past.Sir Neil Cossons, chairman of the museum's board of trustees, last night blamed the demise on 'post-imperial angst'.


He said: 'I think the time has not yet arrived for the proper story of Empire and Commonwealth to be told.'

Although
attitudes to Empire were improving, he said it was still an
'unfashionable subject' and 'more healing of time' was required.The
museum opened in Bristol in 2002 but closed in 2008. It was hoped that
selling the building would pay for the collection to move to London.
But despite fetching £3.1 million, the museum failed to find a home in the capital.


Now its 50,000-strong
collection of written records, photographs, film clips, paintings,
letters and artefacts has been gifted to Bristol Museum.
Last
week three Lord Lieutenants, who advise the Queen on the awarding of
honours, said the term Empire should be removed from awards such as the
OBE and CBE because it was anachronistic.


Colonies: Map showing the extent of the British Empire in 1901