Seeing Ourselves: Caring for the Archive - Catherine E. McKinley

Seeing Ourselves: Caring for the Archive - Catherine E. McKinley

Sharon records inside the New York storage facilities of writer and curator Catherine E. McKinley, where she cares for a remarkable collection of more than 1,600 historical photographs from across Africa, many taken between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. The deeply personal archive includes studio portraits, family photographs, vernacular images, and historical prints that trace everyday lives, migrations, and identities. Despite a few technical difficulties, the conversation highlights the collection as a space of preservation and remembrance. Sharon and Catherine reflect on how these images hold stories often absent from traditional archives, while McKinley also discusses her work exploring women’s history, identity, and self-representation through photography.

Seeing Ourselves: Archives in Dialogue: Art, Diaspora, and Resistance - Nydia A. Swaby

In this episode, Sharon Walters speaks with Black feminist artist-researcher and curator Nydia A. Swaby about historic photograph albums from the Royal Museums Greenwich Caird collections. Recorded at the Brass Foundry in Woolwich, part of Royal Museums Greenwich, which houses extensive photographs and archival material, they share a rich conversation as the first and second practice-based Caird Research Fellows. Sharon reflects on following in Nydia’s footsteps and the start of ongoing collaborations. Nydia discusses how the images document Atlantic trade and everyday life, often portraying Black women in labour while also revealing powerful signifiers of resistance and important African narratives. She also shares insights from her book on Amy Ashwood Garvey and her ongoing artistic and research projects. Together, they consider how broader access to archives can expand conversations about African diasporic histories and Black feminist ways of seeing.

Seeing Ourselves: An Empowered View of History - Stella Dadzie

Sharon Walters sits down with Stella Dadzie to explore her artistic practice and approach to material that can be emotionally challenging. Stella Dadzie is a founding member of the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent and co-author of “The Heart of the Race”, a seminal history of black women in Britain. Her work spans education, advocacy, and artistic practice, often exploring themes of memory, identity, and social justice, making her approach to challenging materials both thoughtful and deeply human. The conversation takes us through a selection of images from the collections at Royal Museums Greenwich, offering insight into how Stella navigates potentially triggering content while maintaining care for her own wellbeing. Listeners will gain an intimate understanding of her creative process, her methods for engaging with difficult material, and her ongoing collaboration with Royal Museums Greenwich.

Home + Land - EP6 - Mapping Memory: Art, Migration, and the Indian Ocean

With Naiza Khan What stories do maps and charts hold? Artist Naiza Khan selects four objects from the museum archives, bringing an artist’s lens to navigational tools and historical documents. This episode explores migration through an Indian Ocean monthly current chart, the artist’s interpretation of invasion in The Bombardment of Alexandria (1882), the symbolism of a 1956–57 Suez Canal medal, and the art of etching in a sketch of The Prince of Wales—an East India Company ship lost in a storm in 1804. Naiza Khan is a visual artist working between London and Karachi. Trained at the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, she examines colonial history, geography, and collective memory in her multidisciplinary practice. Find out more here: rmg.co.uk/stories/art-culture/home-land-podcast [https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/art-culture/home-land-podcast]

Home + Land - EP5 - Portraits, Pride, and the Past

With Azara Jaleel While in Sri Lanka, Mehala invites Azara Jaleel to examine a portrait photograph titled Ceylonese Man. The image—featuring a gentleman in a striking turtle-shell headdress—remains shrouded in mystery. This episode unpacks the significance of formal portraits, the pride of past generations, and the deeper ties between dress, identity, and land. Azara Jaleel is the founder and editor-in-chief of ARTRA Magazine, Sri Lanka’s leading modern and contemporary art publication. She has led discussions on Sri Lankan art with international artists, architects, and historians. Find out more here: rmg.co.uk/stories/art-culture/home-land-podcast [https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/art-culture/home-land-podcast]