Politics & Society
Meet the mayors, prime ministers and Parliaments who’ve held power, and see how Londoners have lived together, with the help of our objects, stories and blogs.
Blogs-And-Stories
Picture Post believed in the power of photography
This London-based magazine pioneered photojournalism in the mid-20th century
London through the eyes of Wolfgang Suschitzky
The grit and glamour of life in the mid-20th century, captured by one of the era’s key photographers
A timeline of IRA attacks in London
From the 1970s to the 1990s, Londoners faced the repeated threat of Irish republican bombings
Sunil Gupta’s photo-collages protested Section 28
This 1988 series challenged homophobic government legislation through photography and poetry
Anti-nuclear protests in dangerous times
Huge crowds gathered in London from the 1950s onwards to call for a ban on nuclear weapons
What was the Winter of Discontent, 1978–1979?
A widespread strike movement during one of the coldest winters of the century
May Day protests in post-war London
Marching for world peace and workers’ rights on a historic day of activism
A timeline of Roman London: Londinium from start to end
How the Romans created London, built temples and baths, then abandoned their city 350 years later
London’s first South Asian MPs
As calls for Indian independence grew, three Indian MPs won seats in the UK Parliament
The Gordon Riots: A revolution in the making
In 1780, soldiers killed hundreds of anti-Catholic, anti-authority rioters
