Georgian (1714 – 1830)
Explore objects, stories and blogs connected to life in Georgian London, when Britain was ruled by kings George I, II, III and IV.
Blogs-And-Stories
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
From royal menagerie to murderous gardener: A holiday in Georgian London
Elizabeth Chivers’ unpublished diary reveals stories of ghosts and iconic landmarks in 1814 London
The Zong Massacre Trial
The appalling case of 130 enslaved Africans murdered for an insurance claim
Molly houses & queer subculture in Georgian London
These 18th-century queer bars can be seen as a precursor to modern LGBTQ+ social life in London
A brief history of Punch & Judy puppet shows
Punch and his ill-treated wife Judy have entertained Londoners for centuries
London Dock
The Wapping drop-off point for wine, tobacco, spices and ivory between 1805 and 1968
London’s Georgian-era architecture
18th-century survivals inspired by the ancient world
What were London’s turnpikes?
In the 1700s and 1800s, travelling on London’s main roads came with a cost
The Rhinebeck Panorama: A game-changing view
Found in a barrel in 1941, this vast panorama shows the awesome spread of London in 1806
The Prévost Panorama: See London in 1815
An epic six-metre-long painting shows us a very different view from Westminster
Inside the Cutler Street Warehouses
Once a centre of London’s trade and imperial ambitions
The Cato Street Conspiracy: A failed revolution
This 1820 plot to kill the cabinet ended at the Newgate Prison gallows
Lost London buildings by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd
London’s buildings were this artist’s speciality in the 1800s, letting us see landmarks lost to time
William Hogarth painted London behaving badly
The artist’s wildly popular pictures from the 1700s show a rowdy version of urban life
When London was swept up in balloon mania
Balloon ascents were all the rage in the late 1700s and 1800s
