Skip to main content

FREE ENTRY Docklands open Monday-Sunday, 10am-5pm Plan your visit For families For schools Collections

Museum of London Docklands
Museum of London
- Our London Wall museum is now closed to visitors, but is still available for venue hire and private events.
  The new museum coming in 2026 will be situated at the heart of the capital’s historic Smithfield area next to Farringdon.
  
  Until then, the fun continues at our Docklands museum!
  What's on at Docklands
- Venue hire
West Smithfield
Discover

Discover London Through History
View all

Music

East London and the popularity of gospel choirs

The Jubilee Singers sang for Queen Victoria in 1873, but gospel choirs became popular only in the 1960s. Now they often sing with icons like Madonna.

Behind the Scenes

Rare books: What makes them special and how to care for them

What makes a book rare? Tips on identifying special books, storage and safe handling techniques to preserve these literary artefacts.

Fashion

Music icons, Soho fashion streets & the Swinging 60s

From The Beatles to The Rolling Stones, and from Carnaby Street to West End, here’s how music and fashion were intrinsically linked in 1960s’ London.

Londoners

Disability: A child’s perspective from 1950s’ London

These photos of disabled children in specialist schools in 1950s’ London attempt to fill a crucial gap in documenting our history.
Shop
Support us
Support us
Account

The Clash: Paul Simonon's bass guitar

See the iconic smashed Fender Precision bass on display in the World City gallery

Paul Simonon's smashed Fender Precision bass

Image credit: © The Clash

Join us at the museum for an exclusive chance to see Paul Simonon's smashed Fender bass in the flesh.

See the bass on display in our World City gallery. The iconic guitar was last played on stage at The Palladium in New York City on 20 September 1979, during the band’s Take the 5th tour of North America. At the end of the show, Simonon smashed his guitar in a moment of frustration, which became an iconic symbol of rebellion. The moment was captured by Pennie Smith, whose photograph was subsequently featured on the cover of The Clash’s third album ‘London Calling’ released in the winter of 1979.

It originally featured in the popular exhibition The Clash: London Calling, which was open at the Museum of London from November 2019 – September 2020 celebrating the anniversary of the album release. Eventually, it will also be on display at the new Museum of London when it opens in West Smithfield in 2025.

“We’re thrilled to have Paul Simonon’s Fender Precision bass on long-term loan. A seminal piece of music history, the moment the bass was smashed was immortalised on The Clash’s seminal album London Calling, a rallying call for Londoners and people around the world.”
Beatrice Behlen, Senior Curator of Fashion and Decorative Arts

The Clash: Paul Simonon's bass guitar also of interest

World City

Explore our free gallery all about the Londoners who revolutionised culture, fashion and art after the 1950s.

Find out more

London's Fashion Alphabet - P for Punk

Zips, rips, chains and paint splatters, the rule book goes out of the window with these items which have mostly been modified or DIY-ed by their owners.

Watch now