This page shows all the themes we currently have available.
All themes
01 Natural History
Mammoths, hippos, wholly rhinos and more! Browse our collection of fossils.
02 Prehistoric Hackney
03 Roman & Saxon Hackney
04 Hackney 1066 - 1713
05 Georgian Hackney
06 Victorian Hackney
07 First World War
09 Second World War
1950s
1970s
1980s
2009: Growing Up Black
A photographic exhibition by Dennis Morris.
A unique and
2010s
2011 - Our African Roots
Conversations with people of African descent who live in Hackney.
2015 - Hackney@50: The People's Choice
50 objects, 50 stories, 50 years of Hackney
In 1965, the London boroughs
2015: African Threads Hackney Style
400 years of textile journeys from Africa to Hackney.
This
2016 - Art of War: Posters and Propaganda from the First World War
Posters and propaganda from the First World War.
The original
2016 - Pubs, Clubs & Carnivals: Pleasure and Leisure in Hackney
An exhibition about pleasure and leisure in Hackney.
Having fun is a
2016 - Sharing Our Stories: Jewish Stamford Hill, 1930s-1950s
Jewish Stamford Hill, 1930s-1950s
For the last 350 years. Hackney has
2017 - Island to Island: Journeys Through the Caribbean
Journeys through the Caribbean.
This exhibition presented a visual
2017 - Warhol to Walker: American prints from pop art to today
American prints from pop art to today.
From Andy Warhol to Hackney Wick,
2018 - Making Her Mark: 100 years of women's activism in Hackney
100 years of women's activism in Hackney.
The story of women’s
2018 - Roots, Rhythms & Records
The sounds and stories of African & Caribbean music in Hackney
From
2019 - Hackney's Got Style
Celebrating the History of African and Caribbean Fashion & Hair
This
2021 - Being African in Hackney: 1960s-2020s
Exploring the experiences of Hackney’s diverse African heritage communities.
2021 - Out of the Mancave
Experiences of isolation and lockdown in men 50+.
Hackney Brocals
2022 - Faces Behind the Fashions: Hackney and the Garment Trade
Stories from the clothing industry in 20th century Hackney.
For most of
2022 - Movers, Shakers & Community Makers
This display explores how African heritage individuals have shaped Hackney to
2022 - People Power: Black British Arts and Activism in Hackney
Black British arts and activism in Hackney 1960s-2000s.
This
2022 - We Are All In This Together: Hackney During The Pandemic
The world as we know it changed in 2020. The global Covid-19 pandemic
2023 - 1980s People Power
The Campaign to Save St Leonard's Hospital.
Hackney Health
2023 - Hackney 300,000 BC: Old Stone Age
Neanderthal neighbours and curious creatures of the borough's Old Stone
2023 - Our Words
Stories from Eastern, Central and Southern African Communities in
African Hackney
Broadway Market
Campaign Badges
Badges were an important tool of communication, with individuals often wearing
Caribbean Hackney
Chalmers collection of fine & decorative arts
A selection of works of art from the collections of Hackney resident Alexander
Civic Life
Dalston
Items from the museum's collection relating to the area of Dalston.
Disability & Access
Earlier Olympic and Paralympic Games
Items from the museum's collection relating to the London Olympic Games of
Hackney Wick
Healthcare in Hackney
Hackney has a long tradition of healthcare from the earliest private hospitals
Historic Images
Jewish Hackney
LGBTQI+ Hackney
London 2012
This theme contains items the museum has collected that relate to the London
Music, Dance & Performance
My Story (Oral Histories)
On display: 01 City limits
Hackney was once a group of quiet villages - an ideal place for wealthy
On display: 02 Free speech
Hackney was once on the edge of London, outside the control of the City
On display: 03 Safe haven
For hundreds of years Hackney has provided a refuge for people from other
On display: 04 A place to find work
The chance to find a job has been one of the main reasons why people have come
On display: 05 A place to do business
For centuries Hackney has been convenient place to settle and start a new
On display: 06 A place to live
Hackney has traditionally been able to offer cheap housing to new arrivals.
On display: 07 No choice
Some people found themselves in Hackney through no choice of their own. These
On display: 08 Street level
Generations of settlers have left their mark on Hackney. Their influence can
On display: 09 A sense of community
Arriving in a new place with a different culture and language can be difficult
On display: 10 Moving on
This has always been a mobile population. Roma, gypsys and travellers were
On Display: Highlights
Explore some of the highlights in our permanent display.
Politics & Campaigning
Shoreditch
South Asian Hackney
Sports
Stoke Newington
Items from the museum's collection relating to the area of Stoke Newington.