- Plans approved to create new London Museum and regenerate Smithfield
- From DJ sets to late-night cinema Museum of London announces blockbuster festival weekends to close London Wall
- fabric to become world’s first nightclub-in-residence in a Museum
- Major new Museum of London Docklands exhibition uncovers London’s 700 year history of public executions
- 15-year-old Londoner takes over city bus stops as winner announced of Museum of London, BBC 100 & TfL poetry competition
- Museum of London unveils Greatest Hits mural to celebrate 45 years at London Wall
- Museum of London marks 100 days to closure with free event and giveaways for visitors
- Museum of London raises a further £7 million towards its new home at West Smithfield
- Museum of London celebrates 45 years at London Wall as it commences countdown to closure
- Sunil Gupta’s ‘Pretended’ Family Relationships photo series acquired by the Museum of London
- Putin’s Happy – Museum of London acquires Jeremy Deller film revealing a divided country and a city full of protest
- The Museum of London celebrates city's sporting hero with new display on Harry Kane
- The Museum of London presents 'Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream', opening 17 June 2022
- Joe Corré, Jordan and Richard Boon to appear in an uncensored, live Punk.London debate
- 300 year old love message embroidered in human hair to go on display at the Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of London begins countdown to West Smithfield relocation
- Douglas Gilmore appointed Managing Director of Museum of London Docklands
- New research to shed fresh light on the impact of industrialisation
- The Prince of Wales becomes Museum of London Patron
- The Clash’s Paul Simonon’s famous Fender Precision bass to go on display
- Behind the Scenes of the Museum of London
- Stanton Williams and Asif Khan to design new Museum of London at West Smithfield
- Museum of London acquires ensemble inspired by the creativity of the Windrush generation
- Feeding Black: Community, Power & Place opening 16 July at Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of London acquires NHS sign from ZSL London Zoo’s Giraffe House as part of Collecting COVID
- Museum of London sites set to reopen 19 May with extensions of Dub London: Bassline of a City and Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery
- Museum of London acquires Mayor of Lambeth’s homemade ceremonial chain as part of Collecting COVID project
- Museum of London acquires ‘viral’ Tweets for Collecting COVID
- Weavers’ Company donate £100,000 to the Museum of London’s move to Smithfield
- Museum of London receives Trump Baby blimp ahead of the Presidential Inauguration
- Museum of London to collect COVID dreams
- Arsenal’s captain donates Black Lives Matter shirt to the Museum of London
- Dub London: Bassline of a City opening 2 October at the Museum of London
- Public statement October 2020
- London Sugar & Slavery gallery
- New major exhibition Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery opens 11 September at the Museum of London Docklands
- Robert Milligan statue statement
- Museum of London sites to reopen 6 August with four-week extension of The Clash: London Calling display
- Public statement
- Museum of London releases first ever recorded soundscapes of London alongside new recordings of London in lockdown as part of Collecting COVID project
- Design concepts for new museum at West Smithfield revealed
- The Museum of London collects shared experiences of Ramadan in lockdown as part of Collecting COVID project
- Unheard oral histories are released by the Museum of London to mark Windrush Day
- Collecting Covid: the Museum of London seeks to mark unprecedented pandemic for the future
- Millicent Fawcett’s ‘Steadfastness and Courage’ brooch to go on permanent display for the first time
- Museum of London submits plans to create a new world-class cultural destination in West Smithfield
- King Charles I’s execution vest to go on display in new major exhibition
- Museum of London to celebrate Dub Reggae and its influence on the capital
- East End bastion Syd’s coffee stall to be donated to the Museum of London
- Free exhibit celebrating the making of The Clash’s ground-breaking album ‘London Calling’ now open
- Museum of London acquires extremely rare plate that belonged to Samuel Pepys
- The story of the Krios of Sierra Leone to be told in the Museum of London Docklands’ latest display
- Museum of London to host The Clash: London Calling exclusive free exhibit of over 100 personal items
- The largest ever Bronze Age hoard in London has been discovered
- Designs for Museum of London’s new West Smithfield home revealed
- Smithfield Street Party
- Museum of London hopes to acquire both the Trump Baby Blimp and the Sadiq Khan Blimp as part of their permanent collection
- Secret Rivers
- Beasts of London
- Recently acquired panorama goes on display for the first time at the Museum of London
- Museum of London appoints leading names to Board of Governors
- Earliest skull ever mudlarked from the Thames to go on display at the Museum of London
- Museum of London acquires beautiful panorama of lost Houses of Parliament
- Bengali arts and culture on show at the Museum of London Docklands family festival.
- Bonus Levels: Artist Lawrence Lek invites viewers to re-imagine future London
- Young Londoners to take over Museum of London this March
- The Museum of London hopes to acquire Whitechapel 'fatberg'
- Treasured children’s author Jacqueline Wilson’s latest book Wave Me Goodbye inspires family day at the Museum of London Docklands
- The City is Ours: A Tale of New Cities
- Adventures in Peter Pan’s Neverland at Museum of London Docklands
- Photography of Londoners and their pastimes on show at Museum of London
- Tracking London’s most talked about topics and emojis
- London Nights: Museum of London unveils the city at night in major photography exhibition
- Museum of London Docklands celebrates Chinese New Year this February half term
- Statement on 20 May 2017
- Whitechapel’s famous monster fatberg is coming to the Museum of London
- Museum of London Docklands to showcase rare Roman sarcophagus in first public display
- Malcolm Reading Consultants appointed to run West Smithfield International Design Competition
- 8,000 years of human history on display at the Museum of London Docklands
- An Idea for a Future London open call winner announced
- Five Museum of London apprentices appointed
- London Visions: Hypothetical scenarios of a future London
- “Reputational whitewashing” investigated in latest display at the Museum of London Docklands.
- Rare George Cross medal goes on display at the Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of London displays recently acquired Sutherland drawings in new exhibition of Blitz artwork
- What does the future hold for London and cities around the world?
- Mayor of London and City of London Corporation pledge support for new Museum of London at West Smithfield
- Smithfield street party: Museum of London celebrates 150 years of Smithfield markets
- Museum of London uses Minecraft to recreate the Great Fire of 1666
- Museum of London releases third and final Great Fire 1666 Minecraft map
- Taste not waste: Be inspired by unique recipes using your leftover food for a more sustainable future London
- Museum of London opens most theatrical exhibition ever to mark 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London
- Museum of London acquires 100 menswear items worn by townscape consultant Francis Golding
- Votes for Women programme
- Technology replacing jobs won’t halt our working spirit
- Rare Victoria Cross with mysterious story to go on display at the Museum of London
- New display at the Museum of London traces the capital’s obsession with ice skating
- Rare tools give insight into working lives of Roman Londoners at the Museum of London
- New display reveals complex history of British Army’s West India Regiments
- Historic vessels Knocker White and Varlet set sail to new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf
- Missing Bake Off? Take your taste buds back in time with 17th century gingerbread
- Paddington returns to Museum of London
- Learn how to code like a pro and celebrate digital technology at the Museum of London’s free family festival
- 17th century fire engine restored for Great Fire exhibition
- Museum of London boosts Great Fire collections with mysterious manuscript
- Major new gallery at Museum of London Docklands explores history of the world's largest docks
- Sir Edward Lister joins Museum of London Board of Governors
- West Smithfield Design Competition shortlist announced
- Museum of London bolsters its art collections
- West Smithfield International Design Competition launched
- Another record-breaking year for the Museum of London
- After dark at The Night Museum
- New display about the life of ‘The Royal African’ and the slave trade
- Statue of Robert Milligan joins Museum of London collection
- Our statement on Fabric
- People of Punk bring the year of celebration to an end
- Tunnel: the archaeology of Crossrail
- Museum of London to make 5,000 stories from the capital available to the public for the first time
- The Museum of London Docklands announces major exhibition with public call out to find iconic pieces of fashion history
- Trump Baby Blimp undergoes test inflation
- Museum of London Docklands launches the Dodger family trail, based on BAFTA-winning BBC TV series, Dodger
- Museum of London Docklands announces Indo + Caribbean: The creation of a culture
- Young Londoners push for a more sustainable city in Museum of London report
- Museum of London Docklands announces street party to mark its 20th anniversary, with Vanity Milan, star of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, to headline
- Museum of London formally appoints Sir Robert McAlpine as Construction Management Company on Smithfield project
- Rare Festival of Britain sculpture discovered in London garden will join Museum of London collection
- Jennifer Francis appointed Director of External Affairs at Museum of London
- Museum of London announces acquisition of major sports collecting project, including Wimbledon oral histories
- Coats worn by Princess Diana and Dot Cotton to go on display as part of a major new exhibition
- Bridget Banton and Samir Patel join Museum of London Board of Governors
- Museum of London issues public call for iconic signs from across the capital
- First witness to the Great Fire of London uncovered
- Opening Friday 13 October – Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style at Museum of London Docklands
- Foundation stone unveiled for the new London Museum as principal construction works begin
- New research finds Black women of African descent more likely to die of medieval plague
- Rare tie discovered in charity shop goes on display in London fashion exhibition
- Museum of London Docklands launches new display in collaboration with Mind and Taking Shape Association
- Acclaimed Fashion City exhibition extended to 7 July 2024 with free student ticket offer for April and May
Museum of London announces acquisition of major sports collecting project, including Wimbledon oral histories
29 June 2023 – The Museum of London has today announced the acquisitions of ten new objects for its permanent collection, the results of a major sports collecting project commissioned last year and supported using public funding by Arts Council England. The project engaged with multiple sports and communities from across London, all of which will help the museum reflect the rich heritage and diversity of the capital’s sporting past, present and future.
One of the first acquisitions to be announced is two oral history interviews which explore the historic relationship between children’s charity Barnardo’s and Wimbledon. Between 1946 and 1966 all Wimbledon ball boys came from Goldings School in Hertfordshire, a Barnardo’s children’s home where they learnt a valuable trade to help get them into work.
After riding coaches to the Wimbledon grounds, these Barnardo’s ball boys would perform various duties including operating manual scoreboards. Sam Hill and Winston Norton are two former Barnardo’s ball boys who have shared their reflections on how it felt to be selected for Wimbledon and how the experience shaped their adult lives. Both of their recollections will be kept in the museum’s collections, ensuring this fascinating aspect of tennis history is preserved for years to come.
An extract from the oral history interview with Winston Norton, former Wimbledon ball boy from Barnardo’s: “They used to put a list up in the hall. It was like getting exam results. We all rushed up… Yeah I’m going to Wimbledon!”
An extract from the oral history interview with Sam Hill, former Wimbledon ball boy from Barnardo’s: “We knew that every year they would choose 60 boys to go to Wimbledon and, I mean, that was such a change from your everyday life in Barnardo’s that everybody wanted to be a ball boy.”
Shereen Lafhaj, Curator at the Museum of London, said: “It’s been incredibly rewarding getting to know Winston and Sam and learning about their connection to one of the most illustrious tournaments in the tennis world.
“These oral histories not only provide a personal viewpoint on the relationship between Barnardo’s and Wimbledon, but also improve our overall knowledge of London’s rich sporting history.”
“The acquisition of these two oral history interviews into the museum’s collection ensures that this unique insight into the hidden history of the Barnardo’s ball boys is preserved for the public and the future.”
Along with these illuminating and historically important oral history interviews, the project includes a diverse range of other sports, reflecting London’s diverse communities.
Another acquisition is an embroidered textile artwork by artist Ekta Kaul. Ekta was commissioned by the Museum to create a piece of textile artwork documenting the qigong practice of participants from Shaolin Temple UK. The artwork is a contemporary reimagining of the ‘Daoyin Tu’ which is said to be the oldest chart in the world (created in 143BC) for leading and guiding people in exercise. Participants from the Shaolin Temple demonstrated their qigong practice and shared their experiences to be translated into the design of the artwork using embroidery and other textile techniques. The temple is the UK’s official emissary of Shaolin Temple Hunan Province China, founded by Grandmaster Shi Fu Yanzi in 1988 to teach the Ancient Shaolin culture of Gong Fu- Ch’an (kung fu), Qi-gong and Ch’an Buddhist meditation.
A set of dominoes, an oral history interview, and a soundscape from a group of domino players at Maida Hill Market Square help illustrate the importance of domino playing to many members of the Caribbean community. These particular items were acquired from Ernest Theophile, who won a legal battle to continue playing dominoes in the market square on the grounds of racial discrimination, successfully fighting against the claim that the activity was too loud.
Two berimbaus (single-string musical instruments central to the art of Capoeira, a dancelike martial art of Brazil) and a recording of capoeristas playing them, have been acquired from the London School of Capoeira Herança, the first established Capoeira School in the UK. Founded by Master Silvia Bazzarelli in 1988 who migrated from Brazil to London with one of this berimbaus in her luggage.
The acquisition of a newly designed training t-shirt represents North London United, a football project for young people with Down’s syndrome. The design includes words quoted from members about why NLU is important to them, celebrating the positive impact of the project.
Foteini Aravani, Museum of London Digital Curator and Co-lead of the Sport Programme, said: “London is an incredibly diverse city, and this diversity naturally extends to the sports which are enjoyed by its population. Most people visiting London will be aware of its huge and historic football teams, but fewer may know about the fascinating histories of Shaolin martial arts in the capital, or the societal importance of dominoes to the Caribbean community.
“With this in mind, I’m thrilled that the museum has acquired such a wide range of objects, all of which will help to show people London’s rich sporting heritage through a new lens.”
These acquisitions ensure that London’s sporting heritage is recorded for posterity, and show that sport in the capital is as diverse and multi-faceted as the many communities who make up the city. It is hoped that many of the items acquired as part of this sports collecting project will be displayed in the Museum of London’s Smithfield site when it opens in 2026, illuminating the many wide-ranging and inspiring stories of sport in the capital.
ENDS
Press Enquiries:
Museum of London: [email protected] / 020 7814 5502
Notes to Editors
About the Museum of London
The Museum of London tells the ever-changing story of this great world city and its people, from 450,000 BC to the present day. Our galleries, exhibitions, displays and activities seek to inspire a passion for London and provide a sense of the vibrancy that makes the city such a unique place.
A fixture on London’s cultural scene since first opening in 1976, the museum is moving house. It has now closed doors at its London Wall site in preparation for its relocation to a new home at Smithfield, where it will occupy historic market buildings and open up to millions more visitors. The new museum will reopen in 2026 under a new name: The London Museum.
The Museum of London Docklands remains open Monday - Sunday 10am – 5pm and is FREE to all. You can explore the Museum of London with collections online – home to 90,000 objects with more being added regularly www.museumoflondon.org.uk
More information about the relocation of the Museum of London to Smithfield can be viewed here