Museum of London

34 pics.  The Museum of London ⇒ is at 150 London Wall (as distinct from the Museum of: London Docklands ⇐).  Inside is a quite extensive and interesting museum with a timeline that begins on the top floor, from prehistoric times to present day.  The museum is free to enter and non-commercial photography is allowed.

The museum is a short walk along St Martin’s Le Grand from St Paul’s underground rail station (central Line) .

Educational sessions, including those for young students, are available.

There are a large number of prehistoric, bronze age, pre-Roman, Roman, post-Roman (Saxon) and Norman exhibits.  Alongside are a number of educational placards and films.  Too many items to show here and get to the exhibitions of later London.  So, here is just a taste of early times.

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When the Romans finally left, about 400 AD, England was mostly populated by Saxon settlers and invading Norseman/Danes (Vikings) in the north.  The Saxons were weren’t necessarily all that war-like but spent most of their time farming.  The Norseman were commonly seafaring traders, it is just that some of them were a bit cantankerous.

On the other hand (imported from Waltham Abbey and King Harold’s Day ⇐ ) :-

In 954 Alfred (the Great) became the first King of All England.  By 6th January 1066 the position was taken up by Harold Goodwinson (Harold II).  On 25th September 1066 Harold Goodwinson defeated the viking forces of Harald Hadrada and Tostig at Stamford Bridge in the north.  Harold was then faced with a forced march of 241 miles to fend of the Norman invader, William (the Conqueror), in the south.  By October 14th the Saxon forces were defeated and Harold killed.  Thus began the Norman era and thence the reign of the Plantagenets and then the Tudors.

Within the old city walls, William the Conqueror should only be referred to as William.  This is because he did not conquer London but instead gave it a charter.

To see the timeline click-on and then again to magnify.  It surprised me to note that our Magna Carta (in 1215 a limited Bill of Rights) was signed at roughly the same time as Genghis Khan conquered Persia.

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Between 1558 and 1603 was the great boom of wealth, culture and global influence of the Elizabethan era.  The effect continued for some time after.

Sorry about the glare, I couldn’t find a way around it.

Britain and particularly London continued to advance in wealth and prestige :-

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– although not for all:-

– for some there was debtor’s prison.  For others there was stark poverty, starvation, disease with the work house as the only relief in later times. There is the Industrial Revolution and it’s long term impact at the London Science Museum⇐  and Wheels on Fire ⇐ (the struggle for fair play).

The Victorian Walk

This is a fascinating walk into the past, complete with atmospheric background sounds.

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The 1920’s boom

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At the mini cinema you can take a seat and watch an old newsreel.

But then there was the 1930’s depression, and then :-.

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London and Britain itself were almost destroyed.  It needed the backing (and loss) of Britain’s entire empire, with considerable determination and sacrifice to hold on.  That effort stopped Hitler’s progress and provided a foot-hold for the USA to join us in the liberation of Europe.  If Britain had not been able to provide that foot-hold, the consequences could have been very different

At the end of WWII, Britain was in dire straits.  Rationing continued until 1953, eight years after the wars end. Austerity continued until the early 1960’s

Then things began to pick up.  6D is six old pence (when they were 240 to a UK pound).

Then London began to swing again with a great burst of original art, music and cultural evolution.  Not just in London but all over Britain.  We may not be so bright at the present but:-.

For more of the Past That Made the Present there is Wheels on Fire ⇐, a timeline at the Science Museum ⇐ and the History of Navigation ⇐.