London stories
Explore the stories of the world's greatest city and uncover the hidden treasures of our collections.
All stories
London’s fashion designers
Vivienne Westwood, Mary Quant and the many other talents that make London a fashion capital
What were London’s turnpikes?
In the 1700s and 1800s, travelling on London’s main roads came with a cost
Photographing an east London rent strike, 1939
Cyril Arapoff captures life in a dangerously dilapidated apartment block
Forgotten faces from post-war London
Fred Wilfred’s photos of London from 1957 to 1962 have remained largely unseen
Boris Johnson: London mayor, Brexit prime minister
Running the capital then the country, Johnson is remembered for the Olympics, Brexit and Covid-19
Sadiq Khan: London’s first Muslim mayor
The south-London son of a bus driver whose time in office has included Covid-19 and the ULEZ expansion
Ken Livingstone: GLC leader & London’s first mayor
Dubbed “Red Ken” in the 1980s, Livingstone became London’s first directly elected mayor in 2000
The Roman mosaic that thrilled London
The 2,000-year-old Bucklersbury Pavement drew thousands to see it after being discovered in 1869
London buses: Red, iconic, double-decked
You wait for ages, then all you need to know about London buses comes along at once
The Monument to the Great Fire of London
A permanent, towering reminder of the 1666 disaster
What was the Cheapside Cross?
A monument to a queen – and a point of religious conflict
Lundenwic: The other medieval London
When Roman London was abandoned, a new settlement sprang up beyond the walls
Where did King Henry VIII live in London?
When it came to splendid palaces, this Tudor king was spoiled for choice
London’s whaling trade: Blubber & baleen
Whether sporting a corset or reading by lamplight, Londoners once relied on the products of whaling
The many lives of Sadler’s Wells
This north London dance centre has seen many highs and lows over the past 300 years
