Story perspectives

Lords Accuse Churchill; Gallery Removes Cammock Video

6/25/2026

Summary

Cammock Pulls Video

The National Portrait Gallery removed Helen Cammock’s video “Persistence” after her request.
Andrew Roberts led an open letter signed by 50 Lords accusing Winston Churchill of causing the “wilful starvation” of Indians in the 1943 Bengal famine.
Cammock said the work was artistic, not documentary, and funded by the Chanel Culture Fund.
The gallery said it respects freedom, complied with her request, and noted the debate over Britain’s imperial legacy.

Summary

Cammock Withdraws

Artist Helen Cammock withdrew “Persistence” after trustees were informed, but the 15-member board held no formal discussion on its removal.
Interim chair Shearer West received historian Andrew Roberts’s open letter demanding removal.
The board includes artist Jonathan Yeo and historian Simon Sebag Montefiere, reflecting creative and scholarly perspectives.
Officials said the piece was shown as an artistic work, not a documentary, and its views do not reflect the gallery’s position.

History

Historical Context

In 1943 a Bengal famine, exacerbated by wartime inflation, export priorities and denial policies under Prime Minister Winston Churchill, killed an estimated 2 million people. The controversy echoes today as the National Portrait Gallery withdrew Helen Cammock’s video “Persistence” after historian Andrew Roberts and 50 Lords urged action, linking present cultural disputes to the legacy of colonial misrule.

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Cammock Pulls Video

The National Portrait Gallery removed Helen Cammock’s video “Persistence” after her request.
Andrew Roberts led an open letter signed by 50 Lords accusing Winston Churchill of causing the “wilful starvation” of Indians in the 1943 Bengal famine.
Cammock said the work was artistic, not documentary, and funded by the Chanel Culture Fund.
The gallery said it respects freedom, complied with her request, and noted the debate over Britain’s imperial legacy.

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