What better way to spend the weird bit between Christmas and New Year than by signing up for our range of exciting January events! See the full programme and sign up here: www.thelondonarchives.org/whats-on #History #LondonHistory #Archives #LondonEvents

Merry Christmas from all of us at The London Archives! Here is a festive photo from 1970. It shows the kitchen staff of Bessemer Grange School, Dulwich, proudly showcasing their industrial scale Christmas pud! #MerryChristmas

We hope you've managed to get all of your food sorted for the big day tomorrow! Some of you thrill seekers may be picking up the centre piece from a market today... This engraving shows people doing just that at Newgate Market, Paternoster Square, on Christmas Eve in 1845. 🎄

Similarly we are NOT open late tonight, and we will be closing at 4:30pm this afternoon, and not reopening until Monday 5th January 2026. We wish you all a restful break over the festive period!🎄

1970 Christmas illuminations on Regent Street, West End, looking south from Galeries Lafayette at 188. The current regular displays date from 1954, prompted by a Daily Telegraph article describing Central London as drab and dull in mid-winter!

This 1860 print from our collections, by George Elgar Hicks, shows the rush to catch the last Christmas post at St Martin's-le-Grand. 165 years later, and we still feel this level of stress every December. We hope your Christmas posting is slightly less dramatic than this! 🎩😅

Just a reminder that we will be closing at 4.30 today for the last Wednesday before Christmas. 🎄

I got 'Professor Higgins'd at The London Archives by the nicest lady who spotted my accent. A lovely chat about libraries and archives, the North, accents and trains. I love @thelondonarchives.bsky.social 's Visitor Room so much. Affordable coffee, lots of tables, the potential for good chats!

Today is the anniversary of the consecration of (new) St Paul's Cathedral in 1697, following the destruction of the (old) St Paul's Cathedral in 1666. This first image is showing (new) St Paul's Cathedral under construction in 1685. It is a contemporary etching sold in St Paul's Churchyard .

I'm very excited to be talking about Christie in the City - Agatha Christie’s London @thelondonarchives.bsky.social on Wednesday 18 March at 6pm www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/christie-i... Tickets £10 include a complementary glass of wine or soft drink

What did the Norman's ever do for us? Our oldest records hail from a time of invasion, regime change, and occupation. 1000 years of history explorable via manuscripts, books, maps, artwork, photographs and video. Where will you begin? #Archives #LondonHistory

It was lovely to be a part of the first Lady Mayor's Show on Saturday, showing off some of London's oldest treasures at Mansion House! #LadyMayorsShow

Lovely to see two of our staff members in our strongroom here! Welcome to Bluesky the Archive Sector Leadership at TNA👋

We're here today from 11- 4 at the Institute of Historical Research's History Day! Pop by for a chat about our collections, services and London's history. @ihr.bsky.social #HistDay25

Pictured: a funfair at Hampstead Heath, #London, c.1905 This photo was contributed by @thelondonarchives.bsky.social Take a look www.layersoflondon.org/map/...

I had a great day @thelondonarchives.bsky.social yesterday talking unrideable mules🐴 (yes! really!) at the Clapham Grand, and listening to some excellent talks from @roadsw9.bsky.social @naomipaxton.bsky.social Tony Fletcher, Jane Pritchard, Wanda Robins, Mark Fox, Alison Boulton and Meera Flynn.

We were delighted to support the excellent Music Hall Showcase & Symposium on Saturday at @thelondonarchives.bsky.social. The full day featured diverse talks, engaging conversations, and the opportunity to view music hall materials from TLA's collection, including a fascinating ILEA film from 1974.

For the second year running we hosted another sell out Magic Lantern Show with Jeremy and Carolyn Brooker and Costas Fotopoulos improvising at the piano! This time with added floating skeleton. T Thank you to everyone that came and we hope to see you next year!" #Halloween #MagicLanternSociety

Superb exhibition @thelondonarchives.bsky.social 'London In The Second World War' 🇬🇧 I alway find the Bomb Damage Maps particularly poignant 🤔 Many personal stories to read or listen to 🎧 The Auxiliary Fire Service records on display were absolutely fascinating 🚒 #heritage #London #Archives #WW2

We are in @thetimes.com again! A lovely article all about our Music Hall exhibition and events There are still the last few tickets remaining for our Music Hall event this Saturday Times article: www.thetimes.com/uk/london/ar... Event tickets: www.thelondonarchives.org/whats-on/cen...

Right, #Halloween posts for the rest of the week. And by that we mean things that are actually spooky , involve skeletons and/or ghouls and are generally deathly in their vibe. None of this dressing up as a character from a TV programme, as our cousins across the pond have popularised...

We're delighted to be returning to the Institute of Historical Research's History Day again this year! Tuesday 4th November from 11:00 to 16:00. Rumour has it our stall has sweets... #HistDay25 www.history.ac.uk/news-events/... @ihr.bsky.social

Pictured: Brick Lane Market, #London, 1895. When this photograph was taken, Brick Lane was at the heart of the Jewish East End. Our #RecordOfTheDay is from the @layersoflondon.bsky.social #Humap, from @thelondonarchives.bsky.social See more www.layersoflondon.org/map/...

Commencing after our period of annual closure (3 - 14 November), our opening hours will be changing: Tuesdays - Opening hours extended to 6pm, and a new document ordering slot at 4pm. Wednesdays - A new late document ordering slot at 5pm. Closing time remains at 7pm.

A fascinating read about terminology in the archives and why it's so important to address, from @thelondonarchives.bsky.social www.thelondonarchives.org/revisiting-t...

Step back into London's Music Hall! 🎩 🏛️ Join The London Archives for talks, rare document displays & expert insights : www.thelondonarchives.org/whats-on/cen... 🎭 Head to @canalmuseum.bsky.social for 'Gatti's Music Hall' – a live Victorian performance www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/musi...

Jack Johnson (1878-1946), boxer & first African American heavyweight world champion 1908. He stayed at Chingford's Royal Forest Hotel in 1911 when training in Epping Forest for prospective match with Billy Wells. Blog by @thelondonarchives.bsky.social www.thelondonarchives.org/blog/the-fig... #BHM25

Just go in and shake the manager's hand firmly! Jokes aside, we have thousands of hours of video archives stored here and digitised for you to view online. Including this charming film about the Thamesmead estate! www.youtube.com/@TheLondonAr... #Meme #Housing #LondonHistory #Archives

Book your ticket now for Dr Henry Irving's late afternoon talk on 10 December at The London Archives @thelondonarchives.bsky.social on recycling in London during the Second World World www.thelondonarchives.org/whats-on/fro...

History in your hands within an hour(ish). Here's how quick and easy it is to register for a history card and start ordering up 1000 years of documents. Register now: www.thelondonarchives.org/your-researc... #Archives #LondonHistory

Saw a fascinating selection of material relating to Epping Forest @thelondonarchives.bsky.social yesterday - maps, photos, letters, ephemera and more!

London in the Second World War - EXTENDED--> 03/02/26 This free exhibition explores the experiences of Londoners during the Second World War and the effect it had on the city they knew. More info and FREE tickets: www.thelondonarchives.org/visit-us/exh...

Sorry for the shade, museum colleagues. Register for your FREE History Card today, and start getting your hands covered in questionable dust. www.thelondonarchives.org #Archives #FOMO #LondonHistory

Great ‘Spotlight on MUSIC HALL’ exhibition @thelondonarchives.bsky.social - small but perfectly formed!

Medieval seals! 🦭 In our Bridge House Estates collection, we hold some remarkable examples of personal seals used by medieval women to authenticate documents. Some of the most commonly used motifs or designs were radial devices, stylised lilies, birds, and full-length standing women.

Making archival boxes: Human🤝Machine If you don't fancy watching a box being made for 90 seconds, I would look away now. Our conservation team, and their big scary machine, make around 2000 boxes every year. They can be made to almost any size and dimension, and can be completely customised.

London in the Second World War - EXTENDED--> 03/02/26 This free exhibition explores the experiences of Londoners during the Second World War and the effect it had on the city they knew. More info and FREE tickets: www.thelondonarchives.org/visit-us/exh...

www.thelondonarchives.org/whats-on/mag... Get your tickets whilst they last! Selling fast! @thelondonarchives.bsky.social #MagicLantern

Before cinema, there was Music Hall! 🎭 From pub backrooms to grand palaces of entertainment, it was the heart of London's cultural life. Uncover treasures from the golden age in our new free display, 'Spotlight on Music Hall'. Opens Oct 6! www.thelondonarchives.org/visit-us/exh... #Archives

London in the Second World War - EXTENDED--> 03/02/26 This free exhibition explores the experiences of Londoners during the Second World War and the effect it had on the city they knew. More info and FREE tickets: www.thelondonarchives.org/visit-us/exh...

Planning your first trip to our archives? We're a five minute walk from Farringdon station! Watch this short video to get your bearings. #TheLondonArchives #Archives #LondonHistory

@ihr.bsky.social and @ies-sas.bsky.social are partnering with @thelondonarchives.bsky.social to run a new series of public lectures, featuring the chance to see the original records first hand. First lecture by @patrickwallis.bsky.social on "Apprenticeship and the Rise of London", Weds 15th October!

Escape to Epping Forest in our archives! 🌳 Get hands-on with the history of London's largest open space at our free event. Explore original maps, vintage photos, and fascinating documents that tell the story of this ancient woodland. All tickets are FREE. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/archives-o...

What made London a world-leading city? 📈 Join us for an expert talk by Professor Patrick Wallis exploring the vital role of apprentices in London's history. See the original documents up close! Limited tickets available. Book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/apprentice... #History #London #Archives

Think you're having a bad start to your week? Spare a thought for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. 😬 On this day in 1529, the most powerful man in England (besides the King) had his career implode. As Lord Chancellor, Wolsey was Henry VIII's right-hand man, living a life of immense wealth and influence.

Marginalia... Ornate H's... Indeterminate beasts... Snails with ears.... Declarations of love for Elizabeth I.... This Churchwarden's account book from the 1570s has it all.

This week 85 years ago, the Battle of Britain raged in the skies above London and the south of England. RAF fighter pilots began to start to turn the tide, inflicting more loses to German sorties than they received overall. However, many bombs still found their way onto the streets of London.

Next month we are hosting another The First Archive We Knew workshop, hosted by Cassia Clarke! The workshop is beginner-friendly and designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of preserving personal photographs 📸 🕐 12:30-4pm 📆 11th October 🎟️ buff.ly/iu2CUDt #Archives #workshop #Conservation

We're back with another #DiscoverTLA and this time we're looking at #CivitasLondinum, one of the oldest maps in our collection currently on show as part of our #Shakespeare in London display Sheet 8 showing the southern part of the City and Southbank 📷 LPA 346649 🧵 1/6

Our next #ArchivesOnShow is on London's Militia! Here is a preview of one our fantastic staff members talking about London's earliest muster rolls 📜 🕐 1pm and 2pm 📆 Friday 12th September 📍 The London Archives