Current exhibition
Upcoming exhibition
Next Stop – 900 Years of Public Transport in Tower Hamlets
19 July - 21 February, 2026
Launching next month, our new 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, the opening of the Elizabeth Line in the 21st, and the Victorian innovations in steam and underground travel in between.
This is the first exhibition we have curated that is designed for both adults and children. An illustrated timeline, interactive games and artwork by local school pupils are all included in the exhibition, so the whole family can be entertained on their visit.
Past exhibitions
The Brady Club – A Legacy for the Future
14 March - 21 June, 2025
The Brady Club – A Legacy for the Future serves as a poignant call to action for increased funding and support for youth services, and comprises the culmination of an eight-year research and digitisation project, which celebrates the rich history and ongoing impact of the pioneering Brady Clubs.
Cockney Rebels: Popular Music in Tower Hamlets, 1624-2003
20 June 2024 – 21 February, 2025
From ‘The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green’ to ‘Bonkers’, the people of London’s East End have always appreciated a good tune. Our unique history, shaped by its connection to the river as a source of inspiration, work, and migration, has produced an extraordinary musical legacy, spanning everything from folk songs and sea shanties to music hall, jazz, punk, the Asian underground and grime.
Featuring over a hundred rare items selected from the collections of Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives, this exhibition explores how our borough and its people have inspired and shaped popular music, both locally and globally, over four centuries.
Free entry! Please check opening hours before visiting.
What We Have Become
Thursday 28 March – Saturday 1 June 2024
A group show by five visual artists, curated by Basil Olton, exploring the impact of local and colonial archives on personal and collective identity.
Image by Basil Olton.
Brick Lane 1978: The Turning Point
2 December 2023 - 16 March 2024
This exhibition revealed the dramatic events in 1978 which were sparked by the racist murder of Altab Ali, a 24-year-old Bengali leather garments worker, and pays tribute to the activists who mobilised around the rallying cry of justice that followed.
Everything is Different, Nothing has Changed
15 August - 23 November 2023
The first ever exhibition of sound art inspired by the amazing collections of oral history and archival audio held at Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives.