Blogs-And-Stories

Death & Disasters
Death & Disasters

Silvertown 1917: London’s largest explosion

73 people died when an east London factory making TNT caught fire and exploded

From our experts
From our experts

Suffragette teddy bears: WWI & women’s rights

What’s your favourite object connected to women’s history? One of ours is a Bow Bear

From our experts
From our experts

Who are the Krios of Sierra Leone?

Explore the rich history of Sierra Leone's Krio community, their cultural fusion and notable contributions

Fashion & Style
Fashion & Style

Francis Golding: A life in clothes

The late fashion icon curated a distinctly London wardrobe over many decades of his life

Art & Design
Art & Design

An introduction to Christina Broom

The pioneering photographer who captured the Suffragettes in action

Fashion & Style
Fashion & Style

Savile Row: The heart of London tailoring

Two centuries of Britain’s best bespoke clothing has centred around this Mayfair street

Fashion & Style
Fashion & Style

London’s lost department stores

Circus animals? Couture workshops? Shopping used to look a bit different

From our experts
From our experts

Windrush style: Psychology, identity & resilience

The psychological impact and cultural significance of Black Caribbean fashion among the Windrush Generation

Rights & Activism
Rights & Activism

Barbara Lisicki: A disability rights pioneer

Lisicki led the charge to win civil rights for disabled people in the 1990s

Food & Diet
Food & Diet

Stanley Green: The protein man of Oxford Street

Protein was the problem for this solo campaigner – a regular London sight for 25 years

Rights & Activism
Rights & Activism

The New Cross fire

13 young Black people died in this 1981 tragedy, which led to the Brixton Uprising

Collections
Collections

From the PLA Archive: Men who served in WWI

How cataloguing the Port of London Authority Archive led to unearthing fascinating connections to WWI

Rights & Activism
Rights & Activism

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?

Collections
Collections

Black & British: A fashionable Windrush story

Explore how fashion among the Windrush generation has become a form of cultural expression

Rights & Activism
Rights & Activism

Sophia Duleep Singh: The Suffragette princess

For this Punjabi royal, winning women’s vote was worth breaking the law

Collections
Collections

One 1930s wedding dress, five brides & two world events

This unassuming vintage wedding dress, made in the 1930s, holds a fascinating story

War & Weapons
War & Weapons

London’s Blitz: A city at war

The German bombing campaign which rained down death and destruction on London

Art & Design
Art & Design

Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war London

A window into life in the capital from the 1950s