Objects & Stories
Try these journeys
Browse by borough
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Barking & Dagenham
Greyhound racing, 16th-century witch trials and the 1960s Ford machinists’ strike
Bexley
Links to the Gunpowder Plot and Peasants’ Revolt, and home to arguably the world’s most beautiful sewage works
Ealing
The borough where entertainment history collides with suburbia – and some striking architectural landmarks
Hammersmith & Fulham
A 16th-century palace, an imposing Victorian prison and a glorious suspension bridge
Haringey
In the 19th century, Haringey welcomed Alexandra Palace and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
Hounslow
A borough whose history takes in aristocratic wealth, dangerous highwaymen and rock’n’roll royalty
Islington
Shaped by waterways, elegant squares and distinctive council estates, Islington is home to cultural icons and radical thinkers
Kensington & Chelsea
London’s smallest borough packs a big punch with tourist draws like Portobello Road and several world-renowned museums
Kingston upon Thames
This royal borough’s coat of arms shows three salmon – a sign of its ancient connection to the river
Lambeth
Culture, industry, a historic cricket ground – Lambeth bears the imprint of many diverse influences
Lewisham
Taking in areas like New Cross and Sydenham, Lewisham is home to beautiful gardens as well as sites of rebellion and protest
Richmond upon Thames
Famous for its beautiful parks, miles of Thames waterfront and royal connections
Southwark
An amazing snapshot of London’s history that spans Roman ruins and the gleaming Shard skyscraper
Wandsworth
Where you’ll find the iconic Battersea Power Station and some of south London’s best-known green spaces
Browse by time period
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Early Medieval (410 – 1066)
Six hundred years that stretch from the Romans to the Norman conquest of Britain
Stuart (1603 – 1714)
After the Tudors came the Stuarts, including James I, James II, Charles I and Charles II
Hanoverian (1714 – 1837)
Spanning the reigns of five kings from the House of Hanover, a British royal house with German origins
Delve into the fascinating stories that shaped London
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Fashion & Style
Who are the pearly kings and queens?
Since the late 1800s, pearlies have donned their button-covered regalia to raise money for charity
Rights & ActivismEmmeline Pankhurst: Suffragette icon
Pankurst’s leadership of the militant votes-for-women campaign made her a feminist hero
Politics & SocietyHow Charles Booth mapped London poverty
And showed the complexity of social class in the late 19th century
Death & DisastersThe Great Plague of 1665
An estimated 100,000 people died in London’s last major plague epidemic
More about our Collections
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About our collections
Explore the lives and stories of Londoners through more than seven million objects, including the world’s largest archaeological archive
What we collect
The museum collects objects that help to tell the stories of this diverse, multicultural city of over nine million people
Collections access & enquiries
We’d love to hear from you if you’d like to enquire about our collections
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