Southwark Council Libraries, Arts and Heritage Service

Southwark Council is responsible for the Cuming Museum, Southwark Local History Library and Archive, Kingswood House, the grade 2 listed house near Sydenham and currently cares for the now-closed Livesey Museum.
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The Cuming Museum is home to the rich and unusual collection of the Cuming family and a museum of Southwark's history. The gallery contains a variety of hands on activities for younger visitors as well as a lively temporary exhibition programme. Henry Syer Cuming left the collection amassed by himself and his father Richard, to the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark when he died in 1902. His will stated that " My Museum illustrative of Natural Hisory, Archaeology and Ethnology with my coins and medals and along with all other curios" be exhibited in "a suitable and spacious gallery or apartments...in connection with Newington Public Library".
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The Livesey Museum was the UK's first interactive musem for children and created changing exhibitions that inspire the imagination in everyone.
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The Local Studies Library and Archives is the borough archive and histoy library tells the fascinating story of the development of London's most historic borough.
Kingswoof House was home to John Lawson Johnstone, amongst other owners, who made the house his own. He was the inventor and manufacturer of the meat based product "Bovril" and Kingswood is known locally as "Bovril castle".