African Headrests: Technology and design in the past and the future episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 12, 2021 · 15 MIN

African Headrests: Technology and design in the past and the future

from Afro Historyscapes

Join us this week for the final episode of the Afro Historyscapes podcast series. This week we are joined from Nairobi, Kenya by Community Researcher Yyvette Waweru. Yvette will discuss her research into African headrests - otherwise known as ‘dream machines’, an important example of African design and technology. Not only do headrests tell us so much about their function and aesthetics but also the people who use them. Yvette will also discuss how headrests have inspired her Afrofuturist film that explores how they might be used in the future. Objects we discuss 21.81https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/21.81/2010.7 https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2010.72019.63https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2019.63/1972.119https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/1972.119/2003.599https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2003.599/2013.156https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2013.156/2676 https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2676/Yvettes Video Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us this week for the final episode of the Afro Historyscapes podcast series. This week we are joined from Nairobi, Kenya by Community Researcher Yyvette Waweru. Yvette will discuss her research into African headrests - otherwise known as ‘dream machines’, an important example of African design and technology. Not only do headrests tell us so much about their function and aesthetics but also the people who use them. Yvette will also discuss how headrests have inspired her Afrofuturist film that explores how they might be used in the future. Objects we discuss 21.81https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/21.81/2010.7 https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2010.72019.63https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2019.63/1972.119https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/1972.119/2003.599https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2003.599/2013.156https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2013.156/2676 https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2676/Yvettes Video Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOW PLAYING

African Headrests: Technology and design in the past and the future

0:00 15:40

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Africa Is East

Feb 2, 2026 ·6m

Don't Trust The Govt

Feb 2, 2026 ·2m

Devi

Feb 2, 2026 ·3m

ANYBODY

Nov 4, 2025 ·3m

MR REBEL

Oct 20, 2025 ·3m

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Afro Historyscapes?

This episode is 15 minutes long.

When was this Afro Historyscapes episode published?

This episode was published on October 12, 2021.

What is this episode about?

Join us this week for the final episode of the Afro Historyscapes podcast series. This week we are joined from Nairobi, Kenya by Community Researcher Yyvette Waweru. Yvette will discuss her research into African headrests - otherwise known as ‘dream...

Can I download this Afro Historyscapes episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!