There has been much recent controversy about Edward Colston; he was a slave trader whose statue was torn down in Bristol recently. I propose that there may be a link, based on historical significance, to steam railways.
It’s a bit contentious, a little bit of time travel, but what you think?
Debate on both sides has been fairly heated what is relevant, history or today’s concerns. Historical people or subjects have been then judged on the standards applying today in the 21st century. What’s more the “conversation” or “debate” about the statues felling has continued on Twitter, or other electronic and unattributed electronic means. Surely it's a matter of relative rights and wrongs when considering historical events.
So what’s the steam railway connection?
It’s similar in the sense that burning coal the fossil fuel powering an industrial revolution is nowadays considered a bad thing, as is slave trading. You may be aware that there have been two months of generated electricity without coal.
Judging Steam railways as outdated, coal as a dirty and unfavourable fuel is using 21st century standards. In a historical perspective coal was right; it would seem that even slave traders boosted trade, and made some charitable donations.
Railways were built to transport coal, now that’s not necessary. However coal is still needed to meet the demand for both the steel industry and heritage railways. We should try not to import supplies, that’s not very green, perhaps there is a need to open a drift coal mine in the forest of Dean, a preserved coal mine ?
You may ask what the relevance this is to the museum?
Steam railways may be an anachronism, but it's one that some of us enjoys, learn skills, socialise and present events for the enjoyment of our visitors. A museum can contrast the past with the present- maybe you can then project your mind into the future guided by the past. Slave Traders to modern icons, steam railways to clean fuels.
Edward Colston’s statue is being fished out of the docks and to be placed in the excellent Bristol Museum, so museums have a purpose, as indeed does our steam railway.
