More than 600 British Empire-era artefacts stolen from Bristol Museum | Arts and Culture News

Detectives are appealing for help after hundreds of artefacts documenting British colonial history were stolen.

Police in southwest England say more than 600 artefacts linked to the history of the British Empire and Commonwealth have been stolen from the Bristol Museum’s collection.

Avon and Somerset Police released images of four suspects on Thursday as part of an appeal for information.

Investigators say the items, described as having “significant cultural value”, were taken from a museum storage facility during the early hours of September 25.

Officers have not clarified why the appeal is being issued more than two months after the theft, but say they want to speak to four men seen in the area at the time.

Bristol City Council confirmed that the stolen collection spans medals, badges, pins, jewellery, carved ivory, silverware, bronze figures and geological samples.

Philip Walker, the council’s head of culture and creative industries, said the objects reflect more than two centuries of Britain’s connections with countries incorporated into its empire.

“The collection is of cultural significance to many countries and provides an invaluable record and insight into the lives of those involved in and affected by the British Empire,” Walker said.

‘Significant loss’

Detective Constable Dan Burgan, who is leading the investigation, said the theft “is a significant loss for the city”.

“These items, many of which were donations, form part of a collection that provides insight into a multilayered part of British history, and we are hoping that members of the public can help us to bring those responsible to justice,” he said.

Bristol’s past is closely tied to the transatlantic slave trade. Before the abolition of the trade in 1807, ships sailing from the city forcibly transported at least half a million Africans into slavery.

Profits from that system helped finance the elegant Georgian architecture that still stands across Bristol today.

The museum’s broader collection includes material from Pacific islands, historic clothing from African nations, as well as photographs, film, personal papers and audio recordings.

According to its website, these items offer “insights into diverse lives and landscapes during a challenging and controversial period of history”.

The city made headlines internationally in 2020 when antiracism protesters pulled down a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston and threw it into the River Avon. The statue was later recovered and placed on display in a local museum.