About the Project
Decolonisation and Photography in Southeast Asia: Histories and Legacies
This project aims to investigate the untold history of decolonisation in Southeast Asia through amateur soldier photographs taken on the front line of conflicts. Such photographs constitute a vast yet neglected archive that promises unique insights into encounters between combatants on all sides, and with civilians whose experiences have rarely been accessible, particularly women, children and unfree workers. The expected outcomes of this project are to produce new understandings of violence in decolonisation and the long-term legacies of colonialism in Southeast Asia. This project also intends to provide a critical historical framework for understanding the meaning and impact of photographs taken in war.
Meet the Rest of the Team
Ana Rosa Marginson
PhD Candidate
I am a writer and historian interested in medicine, disease, and public health in contexts of colonisation, occupation, and decolonisation. My PhD research explores these ideas in the Philippines, with particular interest in the relationship between health and Filipino resistance to the American colonial state and later the Japanese forces during WWII.
I have an MA in Colonial & Global History from Leiden University, and a BA (hons) in English & History from Goldsmiths, University of London. In my spare time I run and co-host The Mayday Podcast: Tales of Mystery & Misadventure, a history podcast focused on stories of exploration and disaster in global history.