London Metropolitan Archives

London Metropolitan Archives
40 Northampton Road
London
Greater London
EC1R 0HB
England

Website

Activities for children and all ages - including Schoolmate, Look at London, Theatrelands and behind the scenes at the Archvies

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma

School resources

http://www.learningzone.cityoflondon.gov.uk/

On-line catalogue

search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

E-mail

ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Telephone

020 7332 3820

Fax

020 7833 9136

All information is drawn or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.

Image showing "A Thoroughbred November and London particular", 1827

LMA holds archives about the administrative, social and family history of London. Over 105km of shelving store records of schools, churches, hospitals, businesses, local government and much more.

Venue Type:

Library, Archive

Opening hours

Mon, 09.30 - 16.45
Tues, Weds & Thurs, 09.30 - 19.30
Friday, Closed
Saturday 9.30-16.45 on the following days in 2012 - January 14, February 11, March 10, April 14, May 12, June 9, July 14, September 8, October 13, December 8.
2013 - January 12, February 9, March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, August 10, September 24, October 12, December 14.

Closed: All bank holidays.
From 3pm, 24 Dec 2012 - until 9.30am 2 Jan 2013 (Christmas closure)
From 7.30pm, 31 Oct 2013 - until 9.30am 18 Nov 2013 (Stocktake closure)

Admission charges

Free to visit and use. Free enquiry service about what records are held. Charges made for copying of archive material, and for the Family History Research Service.

Additional info

Travel information:
Tube: Circle / Metropolitan / Hammersmith & City Line to Farringdon, Northern Line to Angel
Rail: King's Cross / St Pancras (20 minute walk), Farringdon via Thameslink (10 minute walk)
Bus: 19, 38, 341 to Rosebery Avenue 63, 259 to Farringdon Road (Guardian Newspaper Buildings) or 55, 505, 243 to Clerkenwell Green

The History of London collection is a Designated Collection of national importance.

The collection is held at the Guildhall Library and the London Metropolitan Archives, and traces the history of the City of London and Greater London. The History of London collection is a unique, extensive and incredibly rich collection of material on the history of Britain’s capital city. The collections reveal the impact of London on social, cultural, economic and political developments in the rest of the country. The collection also reflects the central role of London in the globalisation of the economy and culture since the 18th century.

LMA holds the official records from the former counties of London and Middlesex. These include the Middlesex Sessions of the Peace, dating from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, and County Councils of London and Middlesex from 1889 to 1965. These organisations affected every part of public life, from health to housing to highways.

LMA has official records covering the much larger area of Greater London from 1965 to 1986. Information on the Greater London area can also be found with the London Borough local archive services.

There is also an extraordinary range of other archives held at LMA. We have records of: Associations (from 1555), Businesses (from 1560), Charities (from 1377), Court records (from 1549), Diocesan records (from 1467), Families and individuals (from 1160), Health authorities and hospitals (from 1220), Jewish organisations (from 1591),
Local authorities (from 1538), National records (from 1653).

Also included are 'London Generations' (from 1538) - this is the section of LMA devoted to bringing family history sources together for you to use. London Generations includes the records of over 800 Anglican parishes, many non-conformist churches and chapels, poor law records, school registers and electoral registers. You can search London Generations as a database on LMA's website.

For visual sources, we have extensive holdings of printed maps of London from the sixteenth century, thematic maps including bomb damage, plans and drawings in the Building Act case file series and other collections, and over 250,000 prints, watercolours, etchings and photographs showing the changing face of London over the last 300 years.

The above is only a brief sample of LMA's vast collections: for detailed information contact our enquiry team or speak to a member of staff in the public rooms.

Collection details

Trade and Commerce, Social History, Science and Technology, Religion, Photography, Personalities, Performing Arts, Music, Medicine, Literature, Law and Order, Land Transport, Inland Waterways, Industry, Archives, Architecture

Key artists and exhibits

Designated Collection

Exhibition details are listed below, you may need to scroll down to see them all.

Shakespeare and London exhibition

28 May — 26 September 2013 *on now

In 1613 William Shakespeare purchased a property in Blackfriars. The deed which records the sale is one of only six documents in the world which bears his signature and is cared for by London Metropolitan Archives (LMA). On its 400th anniversary, LMA presents an exhibition which explores the relationship between The Bard and the capital. A range of documents will be displayed, illustrating how Shakespeare’s plays and influence have lived on through London’s streets, performers and theatres. Due to the age and significance of the 1613 deed, the original will be displayed at specified times. Please check the LMA website for details – www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma

Suitable for

Any age

Admission

Free during normal opening times. Tel: 020 7332 3851

London Metropolitan Archives

Website

Activities for children and all ages - including Schoolmate, Look at London, Theatrelands and behind the scenes at the Archvies

School resources

On-line catalogue

E-mail

Telephone

Fax

Venue Type:

Additional info

Collection details

Key artists and exhibits

Shakespeare and London exhibition

Suitable for

Admission

Website

LMA Film Club

Suitable for

When

Admission

Website