London in the Second World War - Exhibition

London in the Second World War - Exhibition

Explore the experiences of Londoners during the Second World War and the effect it had on the city they knew. (24 February - 30 October).

By The London Archives

Select date and time

Tuesday, April 29 · 10am - 4:30pm GMT+1

Location

The London Archives

40 Northampton Road London EC1R 0HB United Kingdom

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 7 days before event

About this event

In this free exhibition at The London Archives you can explore stories of Londoners during the Second World War. What was it like to live through the Blitz, to see your neighbourhood change overnight, or to be a volunteer with one of the city’s emergency services?


Discover stories of Londoners through materials from our rich collections, including the compelling London County Council bomb damage maps, in which the council charted destruction at the level of individual properties. See the remarkable photographs taken by City Police photographers Cross and Tibbs, who stepped out into the streets after air raids to capture the scene as the action occurred and as the dust settled.

[Cross and Tibbs photo of Bank Junction. London Picture Archives: 35509]


Find out how Londoners felt about life on the home front through diaries and personal stories; uncover the little-known story of Auxiliary Ambulance Station 50 in Paddington, staffed entirely by South Asian Londoners; and take a look at staff magazines produced by Woolworths and Co to see how the war impacted on people's working lives. You'll also have the chance to hear the voices of those who lived and worked through the war by listening to a series of oral histories.


The exhibition features rarely seen original artworks recording the devastation experienced in the city. It also examines the way that London sought to rebuild after the war through the creation of the County of London plan, and how this was put into place at Poplar’s Lansbury Estate for the opening of the Festival of Britain in 1951.

[Southwark Bridge by Ernest Borough Johnson. London Picture Archives: 25092]


Find out more and explore digitised records: London in the Second World War exhibition

Find out more about The London Archives: www.thelondonarchives.org

Join a curator-led tour of the exhibition on selected dates: Tickets for curator-led tours

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to book a ticket?

We advise everyone to book a ticket. It's free and helps us to manage your visit.

Do I need to book a ticket for a specific time slot?

No. Please select "10am" on the date that you'd like to visit, and you can visit at any time during exhibition opening hours on that day. We'd recommend to arrive at least 1 hour before exhibition closing time, so you have the opportunity to see everything.

How long does it take to view the exhibition?

It takes about an hour to view the exhibition and digital exhibits in our Mediatheque. Of course, the exhibition is free, and you're welcome to return for a second visit.

Tell me more about my donation.

Thank you for your support! A small donation can make a big difference to our work to preserve and share London's archives by helping us to deliver outreach and learning activities, develop free exhibitions and care for the collections.

Questions about accessibility?

The exhibition is held on the first floor and is accessible by stairs and a lift. An accessible toilet is adjacent to the exhibition space. Further details: www.thelondonarchives.org/visit-us/accessibility . Please contact ask@tla.libanswers.com if you have any specific queries about access needs.

Do you offer curator-led tours?

Yes, we're running curator-led tours on selected dates. For more details and to book, please see the Eventbrite page: Curator-led Exhibition Tour - London in the Second World War.

Are group visits possible for adults?

Groups of 7 or more people need to make special arrangements to visit so we can manage capacity - please contact ask@tla.libanswers.com to make a group booking. In addition, we may be able to offer curator-led tours of the exhibition for groups for a small charge, depending on staff availability.

Are school group visits possible?

Yes. Interactive learning sessions about the Second World War can be booked for Key Stage 2 classes, and take place in our Learning Studio. These can be combined with a visit to the exhibition - please indicate on the booking form. See https://www.thelondonarchives.org/learning/primary-schools

School group visits - additional details

If you’d like to bring a school group to visit the exhibition only, without an interactive learning session, please contact TLA.Schools@cityoflondon.gov.uk with the proposed date of your visit.

Do you have a cafe?

We don't have a cafe on site, but we're located right next to Exmouth Market, which has lots of good options for coffee and lunch.

Tags

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The London Archives

The London Archives is a free public archive focussing on the history of London, from 1067 to the present day. We preserve and share millions of historical manuscripts, maps, photographs, books which tell the story of the city. You can find us in central London in Clerkenwell, close to Farringdon Station.

It's free to visit and use the archives and many of our exhibitions and events are free to attend. The London Archives is funded and managed by the City of London Corporation. We opened as The London Archives in August 2024 and were previously known as London Metropolitan Archives.

Find us in leafy Clerkenwell, close to Farringdon and Angel tubes, where we look after a vast and unique collection of manuscripts, maps, photos, books and films that tell the story of London, right back to 1067. If you haven't visited an archive before, we're a bit like a library or museum, but with millions of unique historical documents waiting to be explored; you choose what we want to see and we put the history of London in your hands. Not everyone has time to research though, so our exhibitions and events program delves into the archives and presents the fascinating history of the capital for you to enjoy. We're open to everyone, whether you’re visiting an exhibition, joining a history talk or tracing your family history. Browse our program and start discovering London's history today.

Free