Tracey Thorne

My research blog is part of an ongoing research project called Sugarland and a series of works I made called Intended for Jamaica. ​This work explores memory, evidence, and place, using archives to reclaim and reframe marginalised narratives. Through visual storytelling, I am interested in thinking about overlooked histories and their relevance today. Exploring how archives can become tools for accountability, transparency, and collective healing.

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This series is based on my research into the Boulton & Watt Collection (MS3147) held at the Library of Birmingham, examining unseen Caribbean papers linked to the sale of independent steam engines to sites of enslavement in the British Empire. My work seeks to uncover hidden connections between industrial progress and colonial exploitation by engaging with these historical records. The work was exhibited in 2024 at the Library of Birmingham and will now form part of my PhD research starting in 2025. 

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