Leading retailer snaps up a year of London's history in Museum of London's sale of the centuries

3 October 2007

Leading retail chain The John Lewis Partnership have bought a year of London’s history to mark the opening of their very first store on Oxford Street, in an imaginative scheme set up by Museum of London to raise funds for its £18 million redevelopment.

For £5,000, businesses can name a year of London’s history to celebrate their foundation, flotation or financial successes. Their support will be marked on a handrail running the length of a timeline in the new galleries.  Over 300 years of the capital's history, from 1666, the year of the Great Fire, to 2012, the year of the Olympic games, are up for grabs and on sale now.

The John Lewis Partnership bought 1864 as their chosen date as John Lewis opened his first shop in Oxford Street in 1864. The first day's takings were 16 shillings and 4 pence (82p in today's money). Today, the Partnership has 26 John Lewis department stores and 185 Waitrose supermarkets, as well as a direct services company called Greenbee. It is also Britain’s biggest example of worker co-ownership - all 68,000 permanent employees are Partners in the business and share in its success.

Opening in 2009, the project will transform the lower floor of the Museum of London to tell the story of the city over the last 300 years through the lives of Londoners – those born in London, working here, or who have moved here – all who think of London as their city.

The new displays will contain more objects than ever, like Nelson's jewel encrusted sword, Suffragette banners and an Ozwald Boateng suit. The scheme will also see the development of the new Clore Learning Centre, providing flexible and inspiring spaces for learners of all ages, an e-learning suite, object handling areas, a theatre and The Sackler Hall containing an information zone and coffee point.

Professor Jack Lohman, Director of the Museum of London says,

'We are delighted that The John Lewis Partnership are supporting the re-development of the Museum, helping us to literally ‘make history’. The 70,000 schoolchildren who visit the Museum each year and the many City workers who drop in during their lunch breaks will find the Museum transformed with exciting new displays containing double the number of objects to intrigue them.

In 2009, people passing our distinctive roundabout will see the Lord Mayor’s coach on show in all its glory in a new gallery with a glass frontage looking out onto London Wall at street level.'

Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership said:

'The John Lewis Partnership has always had a unique way of doing business. With an ambitious vision of how a business could put the happiness of its employees at the heart of everything it did and profit by it, John Spedan Lewis left a radical mark on commercial history. The opening of our first store on Oxford Street in 1864 was the beginning of a very special company and this project is a great way to commemorate not only that fact, but also to help support the museum’s redevelopment.'

With its sale of years of London’s history the Museum hopes to raise the final £1 million needed to complete the project. The Heritage Lottery Fund has already pledged £11.5 million towards the project and the campaign has also attracted support from a variety of philanthropists, corporate contacts, trusts, foundations and individuals.

This unique campaign 'selling' twentieth century years offers the chance to mark memorable events within living memory, like the end of World War II, the Coronation, England's 1966 World Cup win, or family birthdays and anniversaries.

For more information see www.museumoflondon.org.uk/buyayear or call 020 7814 5592.

Press enquiries

Marian Williams
tel: 020 7814 5502
email: mwilliams@museumoflondon.org.uk

Notes for editors

• Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/, tel 0870  444 3851
• Admission is free.
• The redevelopment, which is the largest the Museum has seen since opening in 1976, will revitalize the galleries, with an innovative design by Wilkinson Eyre architects. The project includes a small expansion of floor space (5%), but will see an increase of 25% in display and learning areas, maximising the use made of public areas. The new galleries will open in autumn 2009 with significantly increased access to the Museum’s objects, both in the galleries and online, and will also include the new Clore Learning Centre, a theatre and The Sackler Hall containing an information zone and coffee point.
• The work started in March 2007 and will be completed in 2009. There are no plans to close the Museum during the refurbishment work: visitors will continue to be able to explore the city's earlier history, from prehistoric times, through the Roman and Medieval periods, to a special display on the Great Fire. A full programme of activities and events for all ages, bringing London's past and present to life, will continue.
• The Museum's redevelopment is being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund which has pledged £11.5 million towards the project.  The campaign has also attracted support from a variety of philanthropists, corporate contacts, trusts, foundations and individuals.  They include the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Fidelity Foundation, the Rayne Foundation, the Weston Foundation, the DCMS/Wolfson Foundation, the City of London Corporation, the London Development Agency, Lloyds of London, Johnson Matthey plc, Ashurst, the John Lewis Partnership and Royal Mail, BT and many additional generous anonymous supporters.
• The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our nation’s heritage for everyone to enjoy. HLF has supported more than 18,000 projects, allocating £3.5billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk. For more information, please call Katie Owen at the HLF press office on 020 7591 6036.