Tower Hamlets Archives

Next Stop Family Workshop Thursday 31 July, 2.30pm at Idea Store Whitechapel Next Stop takes a trip to Whitechapel as we host a creative workshop for families! Adults must be accompanied by a child. Book here orlo.uk/8knuJ

Summer Family Fun Day 📅 Sat 16 August, 1-4pm Join us for our summer family fun day with activities for all the family, including badge-making, poster designing, board game creations and stalls from local community organisations.

"Come Hell or High Water”: Looking Back to the Future with Anne Bean Join us for an evening with Anne Bean as she revisits this year-long project and reflects on the idea of “arclive” — a process of continuous activation and “arcing” across time and space. Thurs 21/9/25 6-8pm

Exhibition! Next Stop explores the fascinating history of public transport in the East End over nine centuries. It spans the construction of the Bow Bridge in the 12th century to the opening of the Elizabeth Line in the 21st. Booking Here orlo.uk/iLw8j

We were delighted to run our Local History stall at the Friends of Island History Trust Open Day at St Johns Community Centre, Glengall Grove on 17 May.

Our congrats to Richard Wiltshire, manager @LBTHArchives, who has been awarded an MBE for services to heritage in the King’s Birthday Honours Richard shines a spotlight on the rich history of the East End. The honour recognises his dedicated public service—we couldn’t be prouder!

Now on display: Archive of Weird Memories by artist-in-residence Tan Wang-Ward 29 May - 22 August 2025 This evolving display draws from our collections to explore the layered histories of Limehouse.

05/07/25, 6-7.30pm What is Cockney Yiddish? Come and be entertained with Cockney Yiddish natter, stories and songs which tell of what happened to language, culture and religion in the East End with historians Vivi Lachs and Nadia Valman.

Today marks the 70th anniversary of @TheMuppets television debut in 1955, an act whose humour and musicality owed much to the East End's music hall tradition. To celebrate here's a 1951 poster for 'MUPPETS AMAZING PUPPETS' at Poplar which predates Kermit & co by four years 👀

Today, we honour the life & legacy of #AltabAli whose killing in 1978 mobilised our communities to unite against discrimination. Commemoration events include Resistance: Protest and Liberation Through the Lens, on until 31 May The fight for equality👉🏽 orlo.uk/Rn3md

Happy May Day! In this photo a group of children around a Maypole at Cubitt Town School, Isle of Dogs, c.1912 May Day had a longstanding tradition in the East End as a time of celebration, with many schools using the maypole for performances.

East End History Club: VE Day remembrance - 8/May 5.30-7.30pm This is an opportunity to browse archives documenting what was happening in the borough during WW2 in an informal, unstructured session. Our archivists will select highlights from our collections for you to explore.

"RABBITS? 🐰 🐇 YES!" 😍 Did you know in 1937 a colony of wild rabbits were discovered in Victoria Park? At the time the park was also home to 40 deer and a wallaby enclosure. Wishing you all a Happy Easter 🐣

Parent & Under 5s, East End History Club is back! A chance to meet other parents, enjoy a cuppa and look through some of our unique collections. Toys will be available for children ages 0-5 with a mini kiddies brunch and refreshments including Tea & Coffee #stay&play #history

24/4/25 Film screening EAST ENDINGS by Mark Jay A 1993 documentary offers an intimate portrait of the immigrant communities of 1930s East London, the diversity of the Jewish diaspora, its language, food religion & humour – and its politics of solidarity. orlo.uk/9a3te

Great to see this completed! Thanks to @TrappedZoneOne for visiting the Reading Room for inspiration!

Happy birthday to us! The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is 60 years old today! 🥳 🎊 To mark the occasion, Richard our Archives Manager and Annette one of our Archivists set up stall in @TowerHamletsNow Town Hall to display some material charting 60 eventful years and more!

Good to see @TowerHamletsNow's @LBTHArchives commemorating the devastating Nazi V2 rocket explosion at Hughes Mansions. When i worked for Oona King in the '90s, there were still residents who had been in Whitechapel that day. We must always remember the civilian sacrifice in WW2