Museum of London

Museum of London. The Museum of London is a museum dedicated to documenting the history of the UK's capital city, from prehistoric times to the modern era. It was formed in 1976 from the amalgamation of the collections of the Guildhall Museum and the London Museum. The institution is governed by the City of London Corporation and is a registered charity under English law.

History

The museum's origins lie in the mid-19th century with the founding of the Guildhall Museum in 1826, which focused on the archaeology of the City of London. The London Museum, established in 1912 at Kensington Palace under the direction of George V, took a broader social history approach. These two institutions were merged following the Second World War, with the new museum opening at its purpose-built site on London Wall in 1976, adjacent to a section of the ancient Roman city wall. Key figures in its development included the archaeologist W. F. Grimes and the first director, Tom Hume. The museum has undertaken major archaeological work, including excavations at the General Post Office site and the Temple of Mithras.

Collections and galleries

The museum holds over six million objects, forming one of the world's largest urban history collections. Its archaeological collections are particularly strong, featuring material from the Roman, Saxon, and medieval periods, including the Cheapside Hoard of Elizabethan jewellery and the Lord Mayor's Coach. Social history collections encompass costumes, theatrical memorabilia from the West End, and artifacts from major events like the Great Fire of London and the Great Exhibition. Permanent galleries were arranged chronologically, taking visitors from prehistoric London through to the present, with notable exhibits on the Victorian era, the Blitz, and the Swinging Sixties in Carnaby Street.

Architecture and location

The main building was designed by the architectural firm Powell & Moya, with Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya as lead architects, and opened in 1976. It was a notable example of Brutalist architecture in the Barbican Estate complex. The structure was built atop a low podium and incorporated a raised pedestrian walkway, integrating with the Barbican Centre and the Golden Lane Estate. Its location was historically significant, situated between the surviving sections of the London Wall and near the Barbican medieval fortress site. The museum was directly linked to the St. Paul's underground station via a subway.

Closure and relocation

The museum at its London Wall site closed to the public in December 2022 to facilitate its relocation. The collections are being moved to a new, purpose-built museum called the London Museum in the General Market building at West Smithfield, in the Smithfield area. This major redevelopment project, designed by Stanton Williams and Asif Khan, is part of the wider Culture Mile initiative. The new museum is scheduled to open in 2026, with interim exhibitions and activities hosted at the Museum of London Docklands in Canary Wharf.

Governance and funding

The museum is jointly funded and governed by the City of London Corporation and the Greater London Authority. It is a registered charity (number 1139250) and a non-departmental public body. Day-to-day management is led by a director, a role held by Sharon Ament since 2019, who reports to a board of governors. Major capital projects, such as the move to West Smithfield, have received significant funding from the City of London Corporation, the Mayor of London, and donations from charitable foundations like the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Category:Museums in London Category:History museums in the United Kingdom Category:City of London