معرفی
David A. Williams, a doctoral candidate and Research Assistant in the Empires and Decolonization Hub at King's College London, is affiliated with the Department of History and the Department of War Studies. His research explores the intersection of maritime visual culture, national identity, and patriotism in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Education
- M.A. in Museums and Contemporary Culture, King's College London (2020–2022). Thesis: Intellectual Barriers in Museums: Self-Led Trails and Places of Belonging Through Reflections of Identity in Art.
- M.A. in World History & Culture, King's College London (2018–2019). Thesis: Britains and the Sea: Maritime Landscape and English Identity in the Long 19th Century.
Research Focus
His work critically engages with the Maritime Turn in Humanities and New Thalassology, analyzing how Victorian and Edwardian interactions with maritime art and cultural landscapes shaped discourses of Englishness. He investigates the banal presence of national identity in everyday maritime imagery and spaces, challenging traditional landlocked approaches to nationhood.
Projects & Exhibitions
Williams collaborates internationally on projects like Photographic Imaginaries of the Countryside (Circle-U: Université Paris Cité, KCL, University of Pisa, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin). He curated the Early Modern Inns of Court and the Circulation of Text exhibition at Middle Temple Library and Isolate Curate at Tate Modern Exchange. His 2022 role as Learning Programme Designer for the National Maritime Museum focused on migration narratives.
Teaching & Affiliations
He teaches courses such as Seapower Nations and Strategy (Level 5, Department of War Studies), Culture and Identity (Level 4, Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries), and Making the Modern World (Department of History). He is actively involved in research groups including the Laughton Naval History and Maritime Strategy Unit, Corbett Seapower Centre, and Arts & Conflict Hub.
