Legacies of an Imperial City

This comprehensive history of the Museum of London traces the ways that the relationship between Britain and its imperial past has changed over the course of three decades, providing a holistic approach to galleries' shifts from Victorian nostalgia to equitable representations. At its 1976 opening, the Museum of London differed from other museums in its treatment of empire and colonialism as central to its galleries. In response to the public's evolving social and political attitudes, the museum's 1993-1994 'The Peopling of London' exhibition marked a new approach in creating inclusive displays, which explore the impact of immigration and multiculturalism on British history. Through photos, planning documents, and archival research, this book analyses museums' role in enacting change in the public's understanding of history, and this book is the first to critically engage with the Museum of London's theme of empire, particularly in consideration of recent exhibitions. Legacies of an Imperial City is a useful resource for academics and researchers of postcolonial history and museum studies, as well as any student of urban history.

Samuel Aylett is Visiting Fellow and Member of the Ferguson Centre for African and Asian Studies at the Open University and Senior Lecturer at Arden University, Berlin. His research is concerned with the place and value of Empire in British culture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Part 1: The Origin Story 1826-1976 1. Introduction: Museums and Empire 2. Prelude to the Museum of London, its origins in the Guildhall and London Museums 1826-1976 3. Empire at the Museum of London, 1976 Part 2: The 'Peopling of London' 1993-1994 4. The 'Peopling of London' 1989-1993 Concept and Approach 5. The 'Peopling of London' 1993-1994 Exhibition and Displays 6. The 'Peopling of London' Catalogue and Educational Resources Part 3: Reception and Legacy of 'Peopling' 1994-2007 7. Understanding Visitor Responses 8. The Spirit of 'Peopling' 1993-2007, Legacies and Echoes 9. Conclusion