London stories
Explore the stories of the world's greatest city and uncover the hidden treasures of our collections.

Photos of bomb-shattered London in the Blitz
The dramatic images captured by two police officers show the effects of Nazi air raids on the City

How did London celebrate VE Day on 8 May 1945?
Joy, relief and grief as the city marked ‘Victory in Europe’ near the end of the Second World War


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

The vivid photography of Bill Brandt
An influential photographer whose work spanned documentary images and Surrealist portraits

London 1948 Olympics: The ‘Austerity Games’
Held in the struggling post-war years, these frugal Games were celebrated as a harmonious success

The Festival of Britain 1951
A nation-wide event with London at its heart, the Festival aimed to boost Britain’s post-war blues

Graham Sutherland’s eerie Blitz drawings
This south London-born artist recorded the carnage of the Second World War