20th century London (1900 – 1999)
Explore objects, stories and blogs shining a light on London during 100 years of enormous and rapid change.
Blogs-And-Stories
Disciplining the ‘World’s Greatest Port’
The PLA’s Discipline Books logged transgressions and sanctions within London’s docks
Silvertown 1917: London’s largest explosion
73 people died when an east London factory making TNT caught fire and exploded
Suffragette teddy bears: First World War & women’s rights
What’s your favourite object connected to women’s history? One of ours is a Bow Bear
Francis Golding: A life in clothes
The late fashion icon curated a distinctly London wardrobe over many decades of his life
Who are the Krios of Sierra Leone?
Explore the rich history of Sierra Leone's Krio community, their cultural fusion and notable contributions
An introduction to Christina Broom
The pioneering photographer who captured the Suffragettes in action
Savile Row: The heart of London tailoring
Two centuries of Britain’s best bespoke clothing has centred around this Mayfair street
London’s lost department stores
Circus animals? Couture workshops? Shopping used to look a bit different
Windrush style: Psychology, identity & resilience
The psychological impact and cultural significance of Black Caribbean fashion among the Windrush Generation
Barbara Lisicki: A disability rights pioneer
Lisicki led the charge to win civil rights for disabled people in the 1990s
Stanley Green: The protein man of Oxford Street
Protein was the problem for this solo campaigner – a regular London sight for 25 years
The New Cross fire
13 young Black people died in this 1981 tragedy, which led to the Brixton Uprising
Women’s toilets & the fight for the right to work
What can a toilet roll tell us about the history of women’s access to work and leisure?
From the PLA Archive: Men who served in the First World War
How cataloguing the Port of London Authority Archive led to unearthing fascinating connections to the First World War
Black & British: A fashionable Windrush story
Explore how fashion among the Windrush generation has become a form of cultural expression
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