Skip navigation

What This Site Is About

07/03/2006


This site tells you where to look for the history of all of London's races and faiths.

Our search centres on museums, but also includes libraries, archives, galleries and the work of community groups. We are gradually building up an online compass - so you can easily find the events, objects and the histories of many London cultural groups, and decide what you want to visit for yourself.

London has been a meeting place for many cultures since it was first described by the Romans. But until recently, histories connected with London's cultural groups were hard to find. Now some museums are showing a greater commitment to telling all of London's stories.

Meanwhile many communities are raising their voices to tell their own histories. The huge success of Black History Month over the last decade is the most prominent example of that.

sepia photo shows Indian women in saris holding votes for women slogan
Indian suffragettes form part of the Women's Coronation Procession of 17 June 1911 in London
photo shows elaborately decorated domed ceiling

The Arab Hall at Leighton House, created from 13th - 19th century Middle Eastern tiles.

Some of the groups traced here have, like the Jewish population, been present in London in large numbers for hundreds of years, and have developed dozens of historical venues. Others like Afghans and Kurds, have only been a significant presence in London for the past ten or twenty years and are just now beginning to tell their histories for the first time.

Above all, this is a site about what you can see and find in London - the objects, the pictures and the first-hand accounts that bring the history books to life.

An image from City of Westminster Archives Centre shows a 17th century image of James II throwing the Great Seal of England into the Thames, rowed by a black oarsman.

drawing shows king in boat with black oarsman

This site lets you.....

Find history Listings in London, organised by cultural group. Including small venues in the outer boroughs as well as the huge central museums, we find events that you might otherwise miss.

Search Collection information by cultural group. Find a snapshot what museums have in their permanent displays, and what they keep in store behind the scenes. We also list the collections of some groups who are not museums - especially archives and community group holdings.

Read the News about multicultural history events. Often we'll talk about new exhibitions that are opening, but we also do features on where to find the history of a particular cultural group in the capital.

Explore our Archives These are still small, but we're gradually adding a representative sample of culturally diverse history events that have taken place in London. We hope they'll provide inspiration for people planning future events, as well as keeping material in the public domain that would otherwise be sitting in a cupboard.

What's still missing?

If you are looking for a particular culture on the site and can't find anything, please be patient with us. We are adding to it all the time, with the help of the many organisations involved.

If you know about something that we've missed then please do Contact the editor - we appreciate all thoughts and contributions.