Gustave Doré’sLondon/Londres: empire and post-imperial ruin

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This article is one of a series I wrote on the subject of the ‘anticipated ruins’ of London. See my select publications at orca.cf.ac.uk. The notion of the rise and fall of civilisations has been a major component of western culture for many centuries, and visions of future collapse have their roots in Homer and the Old Testament. The future of our current civilsaion is still a major cultural concern, as is witnessed by many dystopian, futuristic novels and disaster movies.

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