Discover highlights in our archives, images and library
Read our collections guides to help you plan your research.
Explore topics relating to London’s East End including:
- Tracing your family history: beginner, intermediate and advanced topics
- Maps, deeds, electoral registers and taxation records
- Built environment
- Migration and communities including sources on African Caribbean, Jewish, Chinese and Bengali presence. Also topics on sexuality and gender identity.
- Schools and Education
- Health and welfare including workhouses
- Council and predecessor records. These cover many aspects affecting lives, organisations and landscapes in Tower Hamlets
- Places of worship
- Social life and sports
- Women
- Library sources including special collections, newspapers and local authors and literature
- Campaigning and politics
- Tower Hamlets in World War I
- Film, video, music and sound
Our guides include
- Highlights from descriptions in our catalogue. Search the online catalogue using reference numbers given in these guides. Use our Library Classification Scheme and Subject Guide to help you navigate library and image collections
- Research tips
- Key sources elsewhere
Help us to improve the guides
Our guides represent the best of our collection knowledge. We welcome your feedback to help future researchers. Email localhistory@towerhamlets.gov.uk.