Local History - About us
Outstanding and unique resources
Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives holds outstanding and unique resources for the study of the history of London’s world famous East End.
We cover Tower Hamlets - a borough formed with the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney.
Through a range of original documents, images and reference books the collections document the changing local landscape and lived experiences of individuals and communities in Tower Hamlets.
Our Grade II listed library building dates from 1860 and based in Mile End. The extensive local history library covers a vast range of popular subjects. Areas covered include migration and communities local industries and political movements.
There are thousands of photographs and press cuttings as well as rare publications. Stored on hundreds of linear metres of mobile shelving in our climate-controlled strongroom, the archive collections are spread across a variety of formats, from medieval parchment to digital audio and video. You can find out more on our collections page.
We're here to welcome you if you’re interested in
- the history of a street or building
- tracing your ancestors who lived in the borough
- doing a school or college project
- nostalgia and more.
What you can do here
- Search the catalogue descriptions of our library and archive collections
- Access original library and archive material in our Reading Room
- View our Digital Gallery of images
- Obtain copies of documents
- Explore Digital Resources
- Visit our shop for publications
- Enjoy exhibitions inspired by the collections
- Attend a range of events for all ages
- Book a workshop with us for your students, community or youth group
- Partner with us on heritage projects
- Hire our space for a meeting or event
- Help us build our collections by depositing books, documents and images
- Support our activities by volunteering with us
- View our Annual Impact Report 2021-2022
Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives was awarded Accreditation in March 2018. Archive Service Accreditation is the UK standard for archive services and best practice.
Contact us
Email us at Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives. See also our visitor information page.
Email: localhistory@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Our Policies and Impact Reports
Our range of policies cover collection access and development to how we preserve our collection and manage volunteers.
Volunteering
We welcome enquiries from potential volunteers. Tell us what you are interested in getting involved with. Where we do not have current availability we can add you to our list to contact you at a later stage.
Help us build our collections
We always welcome offers of records, images and books relating to the Tower Hamlets area. We also provide advice to help you look after your records.
Search the online catalogue
This catalogue describes the collections held by Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives. The collections include an extraordinary range of original archival documents, books, pamphlets, periodicals, maps, photographs and films.
FREE access to Ancestry Library Edition
Researching your family tree? Discover genealogy, family trees and family history records online with Ancestry.
Only available from an Idea Store or Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives.