Museum of London

Any city with a history like that of London will inevitably require its own museum in which to house that history. The Museum of London, as differentiated from the British Museum in London, is a building which contains artefacts of the social history of the capital of the United Kingdom. Of London, Londoners and those who have lived within the walls of the city. The Museum of London opened in 1976 in order to pay tribute to the city and to its inhabitants. The exhibitions which it hosts are depictions of great moments and great periods in the history of London. Admission is free, and that truly is a great deal for anyone who wishes to visit.

The spread of history which is covered by the Museum of London is a wide one. Among its exhibitions have been those which cover as recent a time as the 1980s, while there is also coverage given to Medieval periods, and to arguably the most historically significant period of not only London history, but the history of Britain and indeed Europe – the Tudor era.

To find oneself in the Museum of London is to find oneself in the History of London itself. Not only does it house the artefacts of the aforementioned periods, but also those of London in the time of the World Wars – when its future was never more threatened. The Blitz, which nearly brought London to its knees and razed its buildings to the ground. The Battle of Cable Street, when London itself saw a march by Oswald Mosely’s fascist Blackshirts. More recently, the Sixties saw “Swinging London”, the London of Jean “Twiggy” Shrimpton and others. Having faced the war and long periods of rationing, London was a city of cultural and material richness.

The Seventies saw punk take off in London at the behest of Malcolm McClaren and Vivienne Westwood, and their messengers the Sex Pistols. Throughout time long past, throughout history more recent, London has been at the epicenter of all that is prevalent culturally and politically. Few are the cities of which it can be said that they truly have remained as relevant since their inception and even grown in terms of impact. London is one of those, and any visitor to the Museum of London can see just how it has grown and evolved, moved with the times and constantly reinvented itself.

At the present time, the lower galleries of the Museum of London are closed for redevelopment. This means that only the history up until 1666 and the Great Fire is available. The redevelopment will be over by 2010, but until then there is still a great deal to see, to learn and to absorb, and at the present time you can still see all you wish to about the fascinating Tudors and indeed the Great Fire. London continues to be of immense cultural relevance, as always it has been. Visit the Museum of London to find out why.