Vijftigjarig regeringsjubileum van Koningin Victoria van Engeland 1887 1872

Curator: The quiet elegance of this silver medal commemorating Queen Victoria's reign strikes me. There's a formal restraint in the portraiture—so proper and stoic. Editor: Indeed. This silver medal, crafted by Allen & Moore around 1872, depicts two symbolic sides of Queen Victoria. We must contextualize it as a public commemorative piece that projects very particular political and social messages. Curator: I agree, but what those messages are and who they were designed for must be viewed through intersectional perspectives. It feels rather... white-washed. What does this iconography represent for colonized people within the Victorian empire? Editor: Excellent point. This medal presents a carefully constructed narrative. On one side, we see Victoria in profile, regal, a queen who came into power amidst shifts in Britain’s industrial growth, and the height of empire, encapsulated in the phrase running along the medal, noting the dates she was born, crowned, and married. Curator: And on the other side? The imperial messaging is clear: the lion representing Great Britain sits beneath a representation of Europe with text that appears to read, ‘EUROPE T GLORY.’ Who is the "glory" really for? And at whose expense? Editor: These medals would have circulated in specific circles; understanding their place within these groups helps clarify its reception. Consider, also, that objects such as these played a role in fostering a collective national identity at a time of social and political change, specifically for people living in Victorian England. Curator: I think engaging with these medals as mere symbols of ‘national identity’ falls short of appreciating the true impact of this reign. Who did this so-called ‘identity’ actually serve, when marginalized communities struggled? This object must inspire a frank conversation about the legacy of power. Editor: And the social conditions within which Victoria took the throne, right up through her long reign. Well, thinking through both our angles has certainly offered a better understanding of not only this commemorative medal but its possible effect as propaganda at a critical historical junction. Curator: Exactly! Objects like these call for more nuanced consideration that can, in turn, shed light on modern structures of power.