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London’s Grand Designs

London is home to some of the world's most striking architecture and innovative engineering. Whether driven by divine purpose or the needs of a growing population, the grand designs of architects and engineers have shaped the identity of the city and the lives of Londoners.

Based on a London Metropolitan Archives’ exhibition in Aldgate Square and then Guildhall Yard in 2019, we will delve into the historical collections at LMA to present drawings and photographs that record the development of some of London’s greatest buildings and structures. The projects cover a wide variety of aspects of life in the capital, from worship to entertainment, transport to housing, and all add to the story of the developing city. Many are still present today, but others have not survived the passage of time and exist only in memory and archives.

Victorian London in Photographs

Our Victorian London in Photographs exhibition is now over, but you can still see lots of the images used online

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The London Picture Archive

Discover the London you know, and the London you've never seen...

Explore over 250,000 images of London from the collections of London Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Art Gallery

Explore The London Picture Archive