London stories
Explore the stories of the world's greatest city and uncover the hidden treasures of our collections.
All stories
The calls of London’s historic street traders
In a busy city, your voice can make a sale
Highgate Cemetery
London’s most famous graveyard, where the tomb of Karl Marx attracts fans, critics and the curious
Witches, medicine & magic through London’s history
In the face of widespread death and disease, early Londoners turned to the supernatural
Pointy shoes & sexuality in medieval London
How some extremely elongated footwear caused controversy in the capital
Kensal Green Cemetery
How a prince made this graveyard a desirable resting place for the Victorian dead
The Grunwick strike, 1976–1978
One of the defining industrial disputes of the 1970s happened in a north-west London suburb
Olaudah Equiano: Writer & abolitionist
A freed enslaved man whose life story drove the abolition of the British trade in enslaved Africans
How London Pride began
And the campaign for LGBTQ+ rights gained momentum in the 1970s
How did medieval Londoners celebrate Christmas?
Fasting, feasting and wassailers at your door
Frances Burney’s mahogany desk: A symbol of slavery
Exploring histories of pain and exploitation in one English novelist’s writing desk
The life story of Mary Prince
A vital narrative of enslavement that boosted the abolitionist movement
The Zong Massacre Trial
The appalling case of 130 enslaved Africans murdered for an insurance claim
Hammersmith Bridge
It’s survived three bombs – and a struggle to keep it standing
The Victoria Cross found in the Thames
When a mudlark recovered Britain’s prestigious medal for valour
Charles Dickens’ ‘Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi’
The Victorian author charts the turbulent life of a beloved London clown
How London’s alternative currencies made change
In the past and present, Londoners have experimented with different forms of money
