Death & Disasters
Discover objects, stories and blogs that tell us about death and disaster through London’s history.
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 Zong Massacre Trial
The appalling case of 130 enslaved Africans murdered for an insurance claim
Brompton Cemetery
A garden cemetery where artists, scientists and a Suffragette lay in peace
Tower Hamlets Cemetery
Known locally as Bow Cemetery and the last of London’s Magnificent Seven cemeteries to be built
West Norwood Cemetery
One of south London’s Magnificent Seven – with a touch of ancient Greece
City of London Cemetery & Crematorium
This Newham cemetery is one of the country’s biggest
What after the Smithfield Poultry Market Fire of 1958
Curator Kate Sumnall dives into one of the most dramatic episodes in the rich history of Smithfield Market
Objects of love and loss: Mourning jewellery
How do mourning objects change over time? And what can they tell us about changing beliefs and practices?
How the Great Fire caused a London housing crisis
Rent rises, homelessness and migration to the suburbs
Inner rooms, inner minds: Documenting London's mental health crisis
The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns evidently had an impact on people’s mental and emotional wellbeing
A Spanish view of the Great Fire of London
A 1666 report shows the fire made international news
London’s Magnificent Seven cemeteries
Victorian spaces of architectural, natural and historical intrigue
Mapping London’s execution landscape
In central London, you’re never further than 5km from a known site of execution
Who was publicly executed in London?
Thirteen tales of the cooks, rebels, bankers and king who died in front of a watching crowd
The Monument to the Great Fire of London
A permanent, towering reminder of the 1666 disaster
The sinking of the Princess Alice
Catastrophe struck on the River Thames in 1878 when a cargo ship collided with a tourist boat
