National Portrait Gallery

PORTRAITS, PEOPLE AND ABOLITION: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY’S COLLECTION 17 March - 22 July 2007

2007 marks the 200th anniversary of the passing of the Act of Parliament that legally ended British involvement in the trading of African people to serve as slave labour in the Americas, the West Indies and Europe. To commemorate this anniversary, a newly commissioned trail through the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection, written by cultural geographer Dr Caroline Bressey and a special programme of events will explore different aspects of the Trade and its legacy.

The trail through the Gallery’s Collection will highlight key individuals, ranging from Elizabeth I to William Wilberforce who were involved in slavery and the abolition of the slave trade. The trail begins in the Tudor period and runs throughout the Gallery, ending with images and comments from contemporary individuals, like Aidan McQuade, Director of Anti-Slavery International, and Liberty’s Shami Chakrabarti, who are prominent in the fight to stop slavery today. The trail begins on 17 March and runs until 22 July 2007.

Exploring further aspects of the Trade, and its legacy, a week of talks, music, film, family and young people’s activities will take place at the Gallery between 19 and 25 March. These include talks by Aidan McQuade, and also acclaimed historian and author of Questioning Slavery, James Walvin; film screenings, music, poetry and story-telling performances. There will also be conferences and talks linked to the Gallery’s exhibition Between Worlds: Voyagers to Britain 1700-1850.

All events are free, with no need to book unless otherwise stated.

Details about these, and other events, are available from 1 March at www.npg.org.uk/abolition

Highlights from the events programme:

TALKS:

Thursday 22 March at 1.10pm
The Black Contribution to Abolition
Dr Caroline Bressey

Thursday 22 March at 7pm:
How Should We Remember the Slave Trade
James Walvin


Sunday 25 March, 3pm
2007 and the Abolition of the Slave Trade
Aidan McQuade

MUSIC:

Friday 23 March 23, 7pm
Gospel Music
London Community Gospel Choir with readings by Kwame Kwei Armah


24 Saturday 13.00–16.00
Music, Story-telling and Spoken Word Poetry
Family and young people’s workshops and performances

FILM:

Sunday 25 March, 2pm
Film: Slave Catchers Slave Resisters
Dir. Judy Richardson (90 mins).
Introduced by Tony Warner of 100 Black Men of London



National Portrait Gallery opening hours: Saturday – Wednesday 10am – 6pm, Thursdays and Fridays 10am - 9pm Recorded information: 020 7312 2463
General information: 020 7306 0055 Website: www.npg.org.uk


Image Credits
Louise de Kéroualle, The Duchess of Portsmouth Pierre Mignard (1682)© National Portrait Gallery, London

The Anti-Slavery Society Convention Benjamin Robert Haydon© National Portrait Gallery, London