Imperial propaganda - The House that John Built

 The British Empire dominated much of the earth for several hundred years. To some this statement is a strange source of pride, an attitude of toxic superiority. For others this is something to feel embarrassed about. What's strange to me is that the Empire is barely talked about in modern Britain, its legacy is inescapable, but outside of history modules and specialised programming and literature its relegated in general discussions to vague mentions, this is true for positive (usually something about trains and ending slavery) and negatives, war, occupation and slave trading etc. 

So this short piece of early British animation The House that John Built is very interesting to me. Produced in 1928 by the Empire Marketing Board, the short was deisgined to have a wide audience, and was a forum for the Empire to justify and promote itself. I was surprised how it chose to do it. In this short Britain and the Empire are shown in purely economic terms. The greatness of both is shown first in their agricultural and cattle production, and then cemented by translating that bounty into a value in Imperial pounds. No talk of civilisation, or global stability, just animals representing statistics that showed annual growth in exports and imports. 

The Empire is great as it is a great system for the growth of capitalism. You have doubts about our Imperial accomplishments? Nonsense! Just look how well the pork markets were doing in 1925. The House that John Built is not an isolated endeavour. The Empire Marketing Board sponsored many marketing pushes to drive home the economic power of the Empire and to encourage purchasing. Economic patriotism from Canada to Australia, Nile to Cape Town. Looking back I find this revealing, while the talk of civilising the wild lands, and building technological progress have lingered on in the popular imagination, its clear from looking at the evidence of the time that as far as the Empire builders were concerned, the Empire was first and foremost a means to do business and enrich themselves.