Urban History· 2026Q1
‘Derby days at Wembley’: urban heritage, civic narratives and political continuity at the British Empire Exhibition of 1924
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- 2026year
Short summary
Derby's 1924 British Empire Exhibition display fused local heritage with imperialism to unite diverse groups during a period of social and political upheaval.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Local urban heritage was integrated with imperial themes at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition.
- This fusion created a narrative of 'Derby's rise and progress'.
- Diverse groups, including politicians, businesses, and artists, cooperated in constructing this narrative.
- The aim was to foster political and social continuity during a time of acute change.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract This article uses the Derby Borough Corporation’s exhibition at the Civic Hall at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, held in June 1924, to show how local urban heritage was combined with imperialism to create a loose ideology around which different, potentially oppositional, groups could cooperate in 1920s Britain. Working together to create a narrative of Derby’s ‘rise and progress’, politicians, civic institutions, businesses, prominent aristocratic and landed families, educational establishments and artists constructed a ‘common heritage’ to show the benefits of continuity at a time of acute political and social change.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Urban History, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: History
HistoryArts and Humanities