Islington Museum, Local history museum in Finsbury, London, United Kingdom
The Islington Museum is a local history museum located in the basement of Finsbury Library on St John Street, in the London Borough of Islington. It presents the area's past through historical objects, photographs, and interactive exhibitions covering several centuries of everyday life.
The museum opened in 2008 and replaced an earlier institution that had been housed at Islington Town Hall. Moving to its current site in the Finsbury Library changed the way the borough's past is made accessible to the public.
The museum displays everyday items that once belonged to people living in the area, such as clothing, children's toys, and personal belongings from different periods. These objects show directly how residents lived and what mattered to them across the years.
The museum sits inside Finsbury Library on St John Street and is within walking distance of both Angel and Farringdon underground stations. Entry is free, but it is worth checking the opening hours before you go.
The collection holds a bust of Vladimir Lenin, who actually lived in Islington before the First World War. Alongside it, you can see book covers decorated by playwright Joe Orton and his partner Kenneth Halliwell during the 1960s, before either of them became known.
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