Introduction

The 19th and 20th centuries were transformative periods of expansion, consolidation, and eventual unravelling of colonial empires across the globe. These centuries saw the proliferation of imperial ideologies, practices, and cultural codes that permeated everyday life, while also shaping and reshaping social systems and structures. Colonial cultures emerged as dynamic spaces where differences were encountered, power asserted, identities constructed, and resistance negotiated. This special issue explores the multifaceted nature of colonial cultures from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, drawing attention to their manifestation in diverse regions and contexts, from the settler colonies of Australia and Kenya to the imperial ‘peripheries’ of Greenland and Indochina. The breadth of geographical scope across the ten articles contained in the special issue reflects the extensive reach of high imperialism. Across contexts, the articles examine complex intersections among material culture, ideology, and social hierarchy. By analysing distinct practices – from dining to photography, hunting, conservation, and governance – the articles illuminate how colonial cultures functioned as instruments of control as well as sites of conflict, and in so doing reveal the enduring legacies of imperialism.