Museum of london docklands tells the story of londons connections across the globe. The later image of a woman reflected the role of women campaigners against female exploitation. It is the location of the acclaimed london, sugar, and slavery gallery, the only permanent gallery to deal with londons involvement in both slavery and the slave. In 2003, the museum of london docklands formerly museum in docklands was opened in a 19thcentury grade i listed warehouse near canary wharf on the isle of dogs. The docklands museum in london love london museums. The museum of london docklands formerly known as museum in docklands is a museum on the isle of dogs, east london that tells the history of london s river thames and docklands. The museum of london docklands is a small and specialised museum. London, sugar and slavery this event has now finished. By londonvisitors2014 in london attractions, museums and art galleries of london on february 3, 2019. The museum itself starts from the roman times and as you walk through the three floors, you are taken on a historical journey which takes you through the development of the docklands in a chronological narrative. Meeting room hire in canary wharf museum of london docklands. With ancient finds, unusual objects and fascinating tours, the museum of london docklands is one of londons hidden treasures.
The sugar store is an ideal choice for exhibitions and away days, accommodating a cabaret set up for 100 delegates. The international slave trade was in force between the mid seventeenth and the late nineteenth centuries. This time the theme documents the british involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and the subsequent cultural backlash against africans and mixed race descendants in the. All featuring as part of the museum tour, the galleries are the thames highway gallery, london sugar and slavery, docklands at war, trade expansion gallery, sailortown, city and river gallery. The building in which the museum is housed is pertinent, too. An introduction to the museum of london docklands youtube. Visit the permanent exhibition that examines londons involvement in transatlantic slavery. Museum of london docklands free guidebook with london pass. Follow us on twitter for news, views and conversation about london. The sugar and slavery gallery at the museum of london docklands stories of great suffering upon which our privileged lives are founded sc skillman author the sugar and slavery gallery at the museum of london docklands stories of great suffering upon which our privileged lives are founded. In london the processed sugar was made into sugar loaves using molds like these. Wedgwoods original design featured an enslaved man. It is the location of the acclaimed london, sugar, and slavery gallery, the only permanent gallery to deal with london s involvement in both slavery and the slave. Museum of london docklands all you need to know before.
In keeping with its waterside location, the museum of london docklands focuses on the history of the east end with particular emphasis on the river thames and the lives that have ebbed and flowed with it. Located outside the square mile, this 200 year old sugar warehouse reveals the long history of the capital as a port through stories of trade, migration and commerce from roman settlement to the more recent development of canary wharf. The collection consists of objects reflecting the social history of the thames and londons port, including archaeological finds, works of art, scale models, contemporary tools and many miscellaneous items that would have been traded through the port. Mar 20, 2007 in october the museum of docklands in london will open a permanent gallery called london, sugar and slavery, while the bristol industrial museum has opened a transatlantic slavery gallery. Discover a wealth of objects in worldclass galleries, including sailortown, an atmospheric recreation of 19thcentury london. The museum of londons london, sugar and slavery gallery illustrates. One of the exhibits that struck me was titled sugar and slavery. Our trip to the museum of london docklands was quite fascinating and not what i expected in a good way. Apr 09, 2008 london, sugar and slavery a new permanent slavery exhibition has opened to the public at the museum in docklands but not without a little controversy, writes kurt barling video report. London could be getting a slavery museum londonist. Attractions where public entry is free, have added benefits for london pass.
The museum is part of the museum of london jointly funded by the city of london corporation and the greater london authority. And i must admit the words of that aria flashed into my mind while i was walking round the sugar and slavery gallery at the museum of london docklands. Museum of london docklands london, united kingdom museum. Enslaved africans transatlanticslavetrade if you visit this gallery, youll find yourself totally absorbed and caught up in an imaginative, interactive experience, in which you examine. Discover how the docks transformed london and made the city we know today at the museum of london docklands, near canary wharf. Museum of london docklands part of the secret london series. We recommend booking museum of london docklands tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Mapping the legacy of londons slave trade museum of london.
The museum of london docklands is housed in an original warehouse at the west india docks, which were built in 1802 at the initiative of london s plantation owners and sugar traders. A new book documenting londons part in the transatlantic slave. Join us on facebook and share your views on current london issues. It was built at the time of the transatlantic slave trade, to store the sugar from the west indian plantations where enslaved men, women and children worked. The museum of london docklands focuses on the history of londons port and river and the people that lived and worked in the area. In the house of commons, william wilberforce demonstrated how enslaved people were transported across the atlantic using a model of the ship brookes. See a map of how londons docklands are connected to slavery. Slavery, culture and collecting follows slave owner. The latest display in the london, sugar and slavery gallery at the museum of london docklands highlights the connection to slavery of some of. The museum in docklands is itself part of the story of slavery, or at least the building in which it stands is. The latest display in the london, sugar and slavery gallery at the museum of london docklands highlights the connection to slavery of some of britains oldest cultural organisations.
The museum of london docklands is housed in an original warehouse at the west india docks, which were built in 1802 at the initiative of londons plantation owners and sugar traders. This gallery explores the history of the building and the story of london s docks. Museum of london docklands fun kids the uks children. But inside one of the warehouses is a site with a darker mood. Museum of london docklands antislavery usable past. In autumn 2007, museum in docklands, one of britains few surviving buildings with a direct link to the slave trade, will open the only dedicated permanent gallery looking at the trade of sugar and enslaved africans which connects london with west africa and the caribbean. I read about the london, sugar, and slavery exhibit at the museum of london docklands in this blog post a couple of weeks ago and, as a scholar of atlantic slavery and museology, i was itching to see it. The sugar and slavery permanent exhibition is fantastic as is the exhibition regarding the london docklands during wartime. Museum in docklands has revealed details of a new permanent gallery that will expose the forgotten extent to which london profited from the transatlantic slave trade.
A rare book in the the london, sugar and slavery gallery in the museum of london docklands. Museum of london docklands from roman settlement to the development of canary wharf, this 200yearold warehouse reveals the long history of the capital as a port, through stories of trade, migration and commerce. The museum of docklands is telling the story from a place of power that, because it is one of the museums in london, might want to show a hopeful, brighter side to todays society when showing the nasty history of slavery. It also includes a series of life sized, walkthrough replicas of how the docks used to look, feel and smell. Museum of london docklands, london, united kingdom. Step inside a 200yearold warehouse revealing the long history of london as a port, through stories of trade, migration and commerce. In a period of expansion for the museum of london, the museum of london docklands was opened in 2003 in a grade i listed warehouse on west india quay, the historic trading heart of london.
Feb 12, 2017 the museum of london docklands is an absolutely incredible place filled to the rafters with three floors of exhibitions and exhibits. If you love london or youre interested in finding out more about its history and what makes the city so great, youll learn a lot during an amazing day at the museum of london docklands. Museum of london docklands london nearby hotels, shops. The museum of london docklands is surrounded by buildings, streets and statues built with the profits of slavery, in many cases commemorating the owners and traders of enslaved people. It is one of the many physical legacies of the slave trade in the capital. Docklands sugar and slavery museum london uk youtube. Please ask at reception as you arrive for the next available tour. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Stay the whole day, and take a few trips into mudlarks to entertain the kids. The british trade in enslaved african people was ended in 1807, and the legal condition of slavery abolished throughout the british empire in 1833. Jan 22, 20 tom wareham, curator of maritime and community history, delves into the history of the west india quay, the first major dock in london and now the site of the museum of london docklands. I got the opportunity to visit the exhibit after a recent business trip to london and i am pleased to report that the. There are 12 galleries in the museum, all of which are very interesting. Cafe a cosy cafe with high backed armchairs can be enjoyed at the rear of the ground floor.
Magazine article history today london, sugar and slavery. Due to its location in a warehouse which would very likely have stored sugar, and other slaveproduced items, the history of the transatlantic slave trade. The greatest stories from the greatest city in nine galleries. Museum of london docklands slavery and remembrance.
The book enabled us to add more information and also to give references to the sources of som eof the information contained in the gallery text. See objects from our collection, snapshots of events and share your visits to us on instagram. Tom wareham, curator of maritime and community history, delves into the history of the west india quay, the first major dock in london and now. Housed in an atmospheric warehouse building, once filled to the rafters with vast quantities of rum, sugar, coffee and cotton from west indian plantations, the museum explores the history of londons river and port, along with the stories of the people from all over the. Browse our youtube videos of teaching resources, london history, fashion and more. The museum of london docklands has an excellent permanent exhibition london, sugar. Easily accessible on the ground floor, it also makes an excellent breakout space when combined with rooms on the upper floors. Museum of london docklands from roman settlement to the development of canary wharf, this 200yearold warehouse reveals the long history of the capital as. London, sugar and slavery was originally produced in 2007 as part of the.
Museum in docklands to lift lid on londons role in the. See all 3 museum of london docklands tours on tripadvisor. The museum of london docklands is an absolutely incredible place filled to the rafters with three floors of exhibitions and exhibits. Maybe the museum wants to reinforce that the history is indeed history. Permanent galleries at the museum of london docklands. Shop a small shop selling gifts and books can be found near the entrance. The sugar and slavery gallery at the museum of london. The museum of london documents the history of the uks capital city from prehistoric to modern times and is located in the city of london on the london wall, close to the barbican centre and is part of the barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 1970s to redevelop a bombdamaged area of the city the museum is a few minutes walk north of st pauls cathedral, overlooking the. Permanent gallery exhibitions museum of london docklands.
The story of london, sugar and slavery, as the new space is called, is literally in the very bricks and mortar of this four storey museum, a former sugar warehouse built to store produce from the caribbean. Museum slavery exhibitions britain the new york times. Museum in docklands has opened londons first permanent exhibition about the transatlantic slave trade. Aug 30, 2010 london, sugar and slavery this event has now finished.
Discover how the trade in enslaved africans and sugar shaped london. Discover the history of london at the museum of london, near st pauls and barbican. From roman settlement to docklands regeneration, the museum helps visitors unlock the history of londons river, port, and people in this historic warehouse. Slavery and sugar museum of london docklands, london. Discover how the trade in enslaved africans and sugar shaped london the museum s building is central to this story. As a warehouse and part of a significant port, the building was once used to store valuable shipments of sugar arriving from. Frank baronthe guardian published on sun 16 sep 2018 01. The new gallery, called london, sugar and slavery, will open in autumn 2007 to mark this years bicentenary of the act to abolish the transatlantic slave trade. The museum of london docklands charts the history of london as a port, beginning 2,000 years ago with the roman trading post set up on the banks of the thames and following london s expansion into the biggest port the world had ever. If you have a particular interest in shipping, slavery or the london docklands you. Finally, and best of all is that the museum of london docklands is now free. In october the museum of docklands in london will open a permanent gallery called london, sugar and slavery, while the bristol industrial museum has opened a.
The museum of london docklands has six stimulating and informative galleries which can be hired together for larger events and receptions. The museum of london docklands formerly known as museum in docklands is a museum on the isle of dogs, east london that tells the history of londons river thames and docklands. Museum of london docklands museums london free resource. This time the theme documents the british involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and the subsequent cultural backlash against. Jun 15, 2014 but inside one of the warehouses is a site with a darker mood. The collection consists of objects reflecting the social history of the thames and london s port, including archaeological finds, works of art, scale models, contemporary tools and many miscellaneous items that would have been traded through the port. The entire collection of the museum of london docklands is a designated collection of national importance. The museum of london docklands houses the port and river collections of the. Slavery, culture and collecting museum of london docklands. Museum of london docklands museums in isle of dogs, london. And in that time millions of men, women and children from africa were treated as if they were subhuman, disposable objects, moving parts of a machine, whose sole purpose was to make even. The museum is housed in a sugar warehouse dating back to 1802 and plays well as a juxtaposition to the new developments of canary wharf.
London, sugar and slavery a new permanent slavery exhibition has opened to the public at the museum in docklands but not without a little controversy, writes kurt barling video report. One of londons lesserknown museums, the museum of london docklands gives a fascinating look back at londons trade, migration and commercial past through its first port. The museum is part of the museum of london group which is jointly funded by the city of london corporation and the greater london authority. The business of slavery read the mills plantation archive, books and letters of the london slaveowning mills family including a strange correspondence with an enslaved man named pembroke. Museum of london docklands all you need to know before you. This creamware sugar bowl is hand painted with an adaptation of the campaign for the abolition of slavery logo. Aug 05, 20 our trip to the museum of london docklands was quite fascinating and not what i expected in a good way. Londons legacy in the slave trade the new york times. London, sugar and slavery at museum of london docklands. The museum opened in 2003 in grade i listed early19th century georgian low sugar warehouses built in 1802 on the side of west india docks on the isle of dogs, a short walk from the canary wharf development.
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