Social History
Penny toys, vintage vehicles, quirky packaging and more offer a delightfully nostalgic glimpse into the London’s everyday life
Blogs-And-Stories

One 1930s wedding dress, five brides & two world events
This unassuming vintage wedding dress, made in the 1930s, holds a fascinating story

Sophia Duleep Singh: The Suffragette princess
For this Punjabi royal, winning women’s vote was worth breaking the law

London’s Blitz: A city at war
The German bombing campaign which rained down death and destruction on London

Boris Johnson: London mayor, Brexit prime minister
Running the capital then the country, Johnson is remembered for the Olympics, Brexit and Covid-19

March of the women: Photographing the Suffragettes
The fight for women’s right to vote as captured by pioneering photographer Christina Broom

Sadiq Khan: London’s first Muslim mayor
The south-London son of a bus driver whose time in office has included Covid-19 and the ULEZ expansion

25 ways to fix the city: Meet the London initiatives
25 projects across London that are working to make the city a better place

How London’s alternative currencies made change
In the past and present, Londoners have experimented with different forms of money

Are the Suffragettes still relevant today?
Hammers, banners and prison medals: How Suffragettes continue to inspire and provoke

Punk & personal: DIY badges, bondage shirts & scrapbooks
How do you represent something as multifaceted, vibrant and anarchic as the punk scene in a museum?

Blitz bombings & the discovery of the Temple of Mithras
‘Not much good came out of the London Blitz, but Mithras did’

Calling all ravers! Memories of London’s rave nights
Ready to relive the beat? Two Londoners take a nostalgic trip down 1990s rave culture

Inside 'The Vegetable Kingdom': From India to London
Una Maw's Vegetable Kingdom dolls: Blending Indian fabrics and British wit

Poetry, plagiarism & treason: Early years of The Gentleman’s Magazine
Find out more about the home of England’s first ‘magazine’

9 historical Christmas traditions
Cards, pantomimes, toys and treats – these are a few of our favourite things

The forgotten Suffragettes & tales of militancy
These four forgotten champions who fought bravely for female suffrage

Hidden stories behind everyday tickets
The power of ephemera. How discarded tickets are testament to London's history

What were penny toys?
These colourful toys were sold on the streets by some of London’s poorest citizens