Anaïs Walsdorf

I am in my first year of an AHRC-funded Collaborative Doctoral Partnership PhD between the History department at University of Warwick and the Science Museum in London. My thesis, Metallic Empire : Science, Energy, and Industrial Imperialism in the John Percy Collection, 1817–89, focuses on the mineralogy collection of 19th century metallurgist John Percy, and will explore histories of colonialism, science, extraction, and collecting.

I have a BA in Development Studies from University of California, Berkeley and a MSc in Empires, Colonialism and Globalisation (International History) from the LSE. My past research focused on the intersection of colonial and fascist ideologies and propaganda in Vichy Indochina during the Second World War. My MSc thesis was entitled "A Mythological Union: Symbol and Spectacle in Vichy Indochina 1940-1944".

Prior to beginning my PhD, I worked as a museum and library professional with institutions such as Wellcome Collection and Library, the Migration Museum, and the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC).

Research interests:

Histories of Empire
History of science
Environmental history
Histories of extraction and commodity frontiers
History of collecting and museums