Museum of London
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| Established | 1975 |
| Location | City of London, London EC2, England, United Kingdom |
| Director | Jack Lohman |
| Nearest tube station(s) | Barbican, St. Paul's |
| Website | www.museumoflondon.org.uk |
The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. The museum is located close to the Barbican Centre, and a few minutes walk north of St Paul's Cathedral, overlooking the remains of the Roman city wall and on the edge of the oldest part of London, known as the City, now the financial district. It is primarily concerned with the social history of London and its inhabitants throughout history. Admission is free.
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[edit] Description
The museum was opened in 1976 as part of the Barbican Estate, utilising collections previously held by the Corporation at the Guildhall and also items from other collections. The architects were Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, who adopted an innovative approach to Museum design, whereby the galleries were laid out so that there was only one route through the Museum - from the prehistoric period to the modern galleries.
The museum comprises a series of chronological galleries containing original artefacts, models, pictures and diagrams, with a strong emphasis on archaeological discoveries, the built city and urban development and interactive displays and activities for all ages. Fragments of the Roman London Wall can be seen just outside the museum. The museum is currently engaged in a major redevelopment to enrich the experience of visiting the galleries due to be completed in 2009. The prehistoric gallery, "London Before London" and the Medieval Gallery have already been updated and in 2007 a new exhibition on the Great Fire of London opened. Star exhibits include the Lord Mayor of the City of London's state coach, and a reconstruction of a street from Victorian London.
[edit] Museum in Docklands
In 2003, Museum in Docklands was opened in a 19th-century warehouse building near Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs. Museum in Docklands charts the history of London as a port, beginning 2000 years ago with the Roman trading post set up on the banks of the Thames and following London's expansion into the biggest port the world had ever known. Since 2007, it also includes the city's first permanent gallery examining London's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
[edit] MOLAS
The Museum of London includes the Museum of London Archaeology Service (MoLAS), which provides archaeological services in London but also does work elsewhere in the UK and abroad. Archaeological findings made by MoLAS and others working in London are archived at the Museum of London's London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre (LAARC).
[edit] Structure
The main Museum of London, MOLAS and Museum in Docklands are all part of the Museum of London Group. Since 1 April 2008, the Museum has been jointly controlled and funded by the City of London Corporation and the Greater London Authority. Prior to this the Museum had been jointly controlled by the City of London and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is headed by a director.
[edit] List of directors
- Tom Hume (1972-1977)
- Max Hebditch (1977 to 1997)
- Simon Thurley (1997 to 2002)
- Professor Jack Lohman (2002 to present)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official website of the Museum of London
- Location map from streetmap.co.uk
- UntoldLondon website - also run from the Museum of London
- Map My London new community website launched by the Museum of London on November 16 2006
- 'Behind the scenes' blog provides a sneak peak into the working life of the Museum of London.
