Lifestyle & Leisure
How have Londoners spent their free time? What’s a London way of living? Find out in these objects, stories and blogs.
Blogs-And-Stories
What was the Great Exhibition of 1851?
A groundbreaking public attraction on an almost unheard-of scale
Gertie Millar: An Edwardian musical comedy icon
A leading lady on the London stage in the early 1900s
Lost rivers: The Westbourne
Until the 1800s, the Westbourne flowed through the countryside and could safely quench your thirst
Quiz: Which vegetable doll are you?
Are you more of a Princess Spring Onion or a Lord Leek? Or maybe you're a Dr Rhubarb?
Jumbo the Elephant
How a 19th-century animal celebrity gave us a massive new word
London’s lost department stores
Circus animals? Couture workshops? Shopping used to look a bit different
Harrods: A location for luxury
From humble beginnings to one of the biggest emporiums in Europe
Pleasure gardens: London’s first music venues
Handel at Vauxhall? Mozart at Ranelagh? For 18th-century music fans, these were the places to be
How street play shaped the lives of London’s children
These city kids created their own outdoor playgrounds with scooters, skipping ropes and songs
Inside 'The Vegetable Kingdom': From India to London
Una Maw's Vegetable Kingdom dolls: Blending Indian fabrics and British wit
Masquerades in London’s pleasure gardens
Put on your finest costume and join revellers on London’s fashionable 18th-century dancefloors
9 historical Christmas traditions
Cards, pantomimes, toys and treats – these are a few of our favourite things
What were penny toys?
These colourful toys were sold on the streets by some of London’s poorest citizens
Strange & delightful dolls in our collection
Featuring headless puppets, the ever-stylish Sindy and a 300-year-old doll with human hair
How did medieval Londoners celebrate Christmas?
Fasting, feasting and wassailers at your door
Noble squares & charming cheesecake: A Regency tourist's London diary
Elizabeth Chivers’ unpublished diary gives a peek into her whirlwind 20-day London adventure
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Elizabeth Chivers’ unpublished diary reveals stories of ghosts and iconic landmarks in 1814 London
