City of London, a city of science

Heritage Gallery Exhibition: City of London, a city of science

The City was a place where scientific methods and specialist instruments were developed, and as a publishing centre offered a place where these ideas could be disseminated and tested. Networks of scientists and thinkers could be found in the Royal Society which first met in Gresham Street in 1660 and in the coffee houses and taverns in which information was shared.

While individuals such as Sir Christopher Wren and Isaac Newton may be the famous names associated with scientific discovery in the City, countless craftsmen and women from the City livery companies furthered knowledge in the fields of astronomy, clockmaking and map-making amongst other trades.

Exhibition content

Robert Hooke

Discover Robert Hooke's diary and papers on display and learn more about this polymath who worked with Wren to rebuild the City after the Great Fire, demonstrating new architectural techniques and technologies.

Hooke and Wren were responsible for the design of the Monument – a structure that not only commemorates the Great Fire of London but was designed as a scientific instrument, a zenith telescope with an underground laboratory. A daguerreotype of the Monument from c1845, the earliest photograph in The London Archives’ collection, shows how this structure became a symbol of the City.

Blackfriars Bridge

Explore prints and photographs of the current Blackfriars Bridge during its construction in the 1860s. Such improvement to the City’s infrastructure reveals innovation in science and engineering.

Steam engines and diving suits demonstrate the way new technologies were used. The use of photography itself shows the recording of the new bridge using the most up-to-date methods.

Charles Pearson

Developing the City’s infrastructure for benefit of Londoners was a passion for Charles Pearson, the City Solicitor who came up with a plan, on display, for an underground railway at Farringdon station in 1852 – arguably the first plan for an underground railway in the world.

The City Heritage Gallery is located within Guildhall Art Gallery. We recommend that you book a free general admission ticket to gain entry to the Heritage Gallery.