Exhibition & Displays

2023 - Our Words

Stories from Eastern, Central and Southern African Communities in Hackney

This exhibition shared the stories and languages of people living in Hackney, who came from Eastern, Central or Southern Africa. It explored the networks, businesses and social lives founded by this growing community in Hackney, as well as the languages and perspectives they brought to the borough.

2023 - 1980s People Power

The Campaign to Save St Leonard's Hospital.



Hackney Health Emergency was a successful people-led campaign to save St Leonards Hospital, Shoreditch from closure. The campaign and occupation by its workers and local residents that took place between 1983-1984 was a key moment for local healthcare.

2023 - Hackney 300,000 BC: Old Stone Age

Neanderthal neighbours and curious creatures of the borough's Old Stone Age.

This exhibition explored a distant past, when Hackney was like an African savannah and huge beasts roamed the landscape.

Get hands on with objects hundreds of thousands of years old, and learn about the mysterious now extinct humans who made them, the Neanderthals.

Find out why Hackney is one of the most important archaeological sites from the Old Stone Age (Palaeolithic) in Britain, and the stories of the eccentric characters who led to its rediscovery.

This project was funded by the Royal Society’s Places of Science scheme and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

2022 - Faces Behind the Fashions: Hackney and the Garment Trade

Stories from the clothing industry in 20th century Hackney.

For most of the 20th century, Hackney was central to the UK’s garment making industry.
This display shared stories about the people behind the garment making industry in Hackney. Photographs, pamphlets, illustrations and portfolios on display revealed the histories of people behind the trade.

On Display: Highlights

Explore some of the highlights in our permanent display.

2018 - Roots, Rhythms & Records

The sounds and stories of African & Caribbean music in Hackney

From making beats in bedrooms to performing on stage, enjoying sounds in shebeens to looking sharp for the club, this exhibition explores the history of African and Caribbean music in Hackney. Through stories of musical innovation, distribution and enjoyment, this exhibition celebrates the impact of African and Caribbean music in Hackney and beyond.

2022 - Movers, Shakers & Community Makers

This display explores how African heritage individuals have shaped Hackney to be the borough it is today.

Using objects, photographs, and personal experiences from Hackney Museum’s collection, this display shares the stories of people who have influenced local life through their actions.

2016 - Sharing Our Stories: Jewish Stamford Hill, 1930s-1950s

Jewish Stamford Hill, 1930s-1950s

For the last 350 years. Hackney has been home to a significant Jewish community. Between the 1930s – 1950s, the community grew as large groups moved to Hackney either from the ghettoes of the East End or fleeing persecution in central and Eastern Europe.

In 2016, Teen Action, a Chassidic Orthodox Jewish teenage girls’ group in Stamford Hill, Hackney Museum and UK Jewish Film worked together to discover more about Jewish experiences in the area.

The young women from Teen Action interviewed local residents about their memories and experiences of life in Stamford Hill and surrounding areas. This exhibition presents some of their stories.

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 activism in Hackney doesn’t begin or end with the suffragettes. Discover the inspiring stories of women who made a difference in the borough and beyond. This exhibition was created by the East End Women’s Museum in collaboration with Hackney Museum.

2009: Growing Up Black

A photographic exhibition by Dennis Morris.



A unique and poignant collection of photographs depicting the West Indian community in the 1960s and 1970s.

Internationally acclaimed rock photographer Dennis Morris, best known as Bob Marley s photographer, grew up in Hackney and first discovered photography at church in Dalston.
Growing Up Black features some of his earliest work and is an insightful visual record of the world he grew up in, taken of friends, family and strangers, at church, social events and on the streets, and he has donated this collection to Hackney Museum.

Growing Up Black was a free exhibition shown at Hackney Museum from Friday 2 October 2009 until 23 January 2010.

2016 - Pubs, Clubs & Carnivals: Pleasure and Leisure in Hackney

An exhibition about pleasure and leisure in Hackney.

Having fun is a serious business! From greased pigs and naked swimming to a variety of festivals and carnivals, Hackney has led the way.

Discover Britain’s earliest purpose-built cinema and commercial television studio as well as Europe’s largest theatre.

Visit the exhibition to find out how people have enjoyed themselves in Hackney over the last 300 years.

2015 - Hackney@50: The People's Choice

50 objects, 50 stories, 50 years of Hackney

In 1965, the London boroughs of Hackney, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington merged to form what is today known as Hackney. A new exhibition at Hackney Museum marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the London Borough of Hackney.

50 local people and groups have selected an object each from Hackney Museum’s collection to share what Hackney means to them. Each object tells a different story and is the start of a conversation with people who live, work and learn in the borough.

From an ancient fossil of the deep sea excavated in Stoke Newington to a Victorian Dalston teenager’s diary to a beautiful hanging of the Sura Al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Koran, the exhibition weaves a tapestry of the rich and diverse voices in Hackney today.

Join the conversation by visiting the exhibition. You can suggest what object to display or tweet about one using #Hackney50.

2015: African Threads Hackney Style

400 years of textile journeys from Africa to Hackney.



This exhibition explored Hackney’s historic ties with Africa through fabric and fashion. It uncovered their influence on the local area, from 17th century trade with West African by Hackney merchants to the presence of African communities and textiles in Hackney today.

2016 - Art of War: Posters and Propaganda from the First World War

Posters and propaganda from the First World War.

The original recruitment posters featured in this exhibition were designed by graphic artists and creative agencies of the day, giving a glimpse into the psychology and communication methods of the time.

In Hackney, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington thousands of men responded to the recruitment campaigns and signed up to serve in the war.

2017 - Warhol to Walker: American prints from pop art to today

American prints from pop art to today.

From Andy Warhol to Hackney Wick, this special exhibition explored the influence print movements have had on Hackney.

Starting with the explosion of pop art in the 1960s, the exhibition displayed works loaned from the British Museum. Artists included Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Kara Walker as well as local artists.

2022 - People Power: Black British Arts and Activism in Hackney

Black British arts and activism in Hackney 1960s-2000s.

This exhibition explores aspects of Black British arts and activism which have flourished in Hackney since the 1960s.

Individuals, groups and organisations in Hackney with African and Caribbean heritage shaped the landscape of Black British arts and culture through their activism. They inspired and nurtured future generations to express themselves through the power of artistic expression.

2021 - Out of the Mancave

Experiences of isolation and lockdown in men 50+.

Hackney Brocals (‘the bros’) are a group of Hackney men aged 50+ who get together to battle the curse of ‘bronliness’ in society. They do this by training to drive 12-seater minibuses and then driving each other on trips in and around London. Or rather, they did. Until COVID-19.

In early 2020 the bros were working with artist Angela Groundwater on a piece with them about their struggles with isolation and loneliness and the steps they were taking to combat it. Their last trip to Chislehurst Caves, Kent, became the inspiration for the wallpaper shown here, entitled Out of the ManCave.

The introduction of a national lockdown in response to the Coronavirus pandemic created an unprecedented threat of loneliness as the bros stayed at home alone. Throughout the rest of 2020 the men shared their personal stories of lockdown with Angela and one another over Zoom, asking: What had they been doing? How had they been coping?

The results are these custom-made wallpaper designs that weave together the men’s memories, histories and treasured possessions, to create a portrait of a year unlike any other.

2017 - Island to Island: Journeys Through the Caribbean

Journeys through the Caribbean.

This exhibition presented a visual journey through the English-speaking Caribbean with stunning photographs taken over the past sixty years. Find out how the region’s multicultural history has shaped the distinctive cultures found across the Caribbean today, through the work of photographer Tim Smith. The exhibition also included rare images of everyday life in the 1950s and 60s, and personal memories from Hackney residents with connections to the Caribbean.

2019 - Hackney's Got Style

Celebrating the History of African and Caribbean Fashion & Hair

This exhibition shared and celebrated the history and impact of African and Caribbean style and hair through the eyes of Hackney people. Explore how the clothes we wear and how we style our hair has expressed and impacted identity since the 1950s, and what this means for us today. Discover the local entrepreneurs, designers and fashionistas who have changed British culture in the borough and beyond.

2021 - Being African in Hackney: 1960s-2020s

Exploring the experiences of Hackney’s diverse African heritage communities.

African heritage communities in the borough have grown over the last 60 years. The objects, photographs and oral histories displayed told stories of people moving to and living, working, studying and growing up in Hackney, from the 1960s to 2020s:

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 transformed how we live overnight and we are still learning about the virus and its impact on individuals and communities.

This display explored local people's diverse experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic through their personal objects, photographs, and artwork. It also revealed how local people and organisations found ways to support NHS staff and other frontline workers.

2011 - Our African Roots

Conversations with people of African descent who live in Hackney.


They generously told us their stories and lent us objects that reminded them of their African roots. Some were born here; some came to Hackney as refugees fleeing from war. Some came to join their families, others as pioneers with a spirit of adventure or a desire to better themselves. They have made a life here as well as keeping their roots in Africa.

We asked our contributors about their background and culture, language, faith and identity. Their stories reflect Africa's rich and sometimes troubled history from the beginnings of time to complex international connections of life here and now.

On display: 01 City limits

Hackney was once a group of quiet villages - an ideal place for wealthy landowners to have their country homes. However London was growing fast, and by the 1800s Hackney had become a suburb of the city.

On display: 02 Free speech

Hackney was once on the edge of London, outside the control of the City authorities. This meant it was good place to live if your views or lifestyle were unusual or frowned upon. Political and religious activists, writers and accentrics have all found a place for themselves here.

On display: 03 Safe haven

For hundreds of years Hackney has provided a refuge for people from other communities fleeing persecution because of their religion, race or political views.

On display: 05 A place to do business

For centuries Hackney has been convenient place to settle and start a new business, because it is close to the wealthy city.

On display: 07 No choice

Some people found themselves in Hackney through no choice of their own. These included patients in asylums, school children, slaves and servants, lascars and ayahs. Their history is often hidden from us, but some clues do remain...

On display: 06 A place to live

Hackney has traditionally been able to offer cheap housing to new arrivals. This has made it a destination for settlers from all over the world, many of whom arrive with very little money.

On display: 10 Moving on

This has always been a mobile population. Roma, gypsys and travellers were attracted to the green spaces. Some communities moved on to wealthier areas. Others moved in response to particular events, such as evacuation during World War 2.

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 to Hackney. The local economy has long depended on the skills and labour of people moving into the area.

On display: 08 Street level

Generations of settlers have left their mark on Hackney. Their influence can often be found in the history of local buildings.

On display: 09 A sense of community

Arriving in a new place with a different culture and language can be difficult and frightening. Many people choose to come to Hackney because they will find support here.