Imperial Persuaders Images of Africa and Asia in British Advertising

In the period 1880-1960 advertising pervaded every aspect of British life. This was also a time in which the power and influence of the British Empire was at its greatest. This is the first book to trace how non-white people were depicted in British advertising during the colonial period. Drawing on archival sources, employing detailed textual analyses, and using over seventy illustrations, Anandi Ramamurthy examines a range of well-known advertising icons in their historical and cultural contexts. She finds how these images were produced to represent and support the individual commercial agendas of the colonising industries. While each chapter explores images produced to sell specific products -- such as soap, cocoa, tea and tobacco -- the study as a whole provides a chronological understanding of changing colonial ideologies. A challenging and enlightening work, Imperial persuaders will be invaluable for students of Cultural Studies, Imperial History, Race and Ethnic Studies and Visual Culture. Book jacket.

Anandi Ramamurthy is Senior Lecturer in Film and Media Studies at the University of Central Lancashire.