Bank started by founder of The Economist buys a year of London's history

5 October 2007

The Standard Chartered has bought a year of London's history to celebrate their foundation by James Wilson, the Scottish hat-maker who also started the Economist. They have made their purchase in an imaginative scheme set up by the 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. 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.

Standard Chartered was formed through a merger between The Standard Bank of British South Africa and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China. Standard Chartered is celebrating 1853, the year Queen Victoria granted a Royal Charter to James Wilson to open the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, handling business with the Empire.

The bank handled the finance of business that brought exotic cargoes like cotton, indigo, tea, hemp, tobacco and silk into London's docks, by then 'the warehouse of the world'.  After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the extension of the telegraph to China in 1871, the bank played a key role in opening up trade with the Far East.

Opening in 2009, the Capital City development 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 a new Clore Learning Centre, providing flexible and inspiring spaces for learners of all ages, an e-learning suite, object handling areas, a theatre and a central Sackler Hall containing an information zone and coffee point.

Professor Jack Lohman, Director of the Museum of London says, ' We are delighted that Standard Chartered is 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.'

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 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 contact:

Press enquiries: 020 7814 5592
Marian Williams: 020 7814 5502
email: mwilliams@museumoflondon.org.uk

Notes for editors

• Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN. www.museumoflondon.org.uk, tel 0870 444 3851
• Admission is free.
• The Capital City project, 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 a new Clore Learning Centre, a theatre and a central Sackler Hall containing an information zone and coffee point.
• The work will start 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 und 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, Hugh and Catherine Stevenson, the Fidelity Foundation, the Rayne Foundation, the Weston Foundation, the DCMS/Wolfson Foundation, the City of London Corporation, the London Development Agency, Lord Foster, Lloyd's 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.

About Standard Chartered - leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is consistently ranked in the top 25 among FTSE-100 companies by market capitalisation.

Standard Chartered has a history of over 150 years in banking and operates in many of the world's fastest-growing markets with an extensive global network of over 1,400 branches (including subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures) in over 50 countries in the Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom and the Americas.

As one of the world's most international banks, Standard Chartered employs 60,000 people, representing over 90 nationalities, worldwide. This diversity lies at the heart of the Bank's values and supports the Bank's growth as the world increasingly becomes one market.

With strong organic growth supported by strategic alliances and acquisitions and driven by its strengths in the balance and diversity of its business, products, geography and people, Standard Chartered is well positioned in the emerging trade corridors of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Standard Chartered derives over 90 per cent of profits from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Serving both Consumer and Wholesale Banking customers worldwide, the Bank combines deep local knowledge with global capability to offer a wide range of innovative products and services as well as award-winning solutions.

Trusted across its network for its standard of governance and corporate responsibility, Standard Chartered takes a long term view of the consequences of its actions to ensure that the Bank builds a sustainable business through social inclusion, environmental protection and good governance.

Standard Chartered is also committed to all its stakeholders by living its values in its approach towards managing its people, exceeding expectations of its customers, making a difference in communities and working with regulators.

For more information on Standard Chartered, please log on to www.standardchartered.com.