First Port of Empire

1840-1880

Docklands at War

1939-1945

Warehouse of the World

1880-1939

Turn of the century London was the world's busiest port

By 1880, London docks were a hub for world trade. Until the outbreak of the Second World War, the sheds and warehouses that lined the river Thames housed every conceivable commodity.

Not to be missed on your visit

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Banner of the Amalgamated Stevedores' Union, 1904

In 1889, the port of London was paralysed by a huge strike by the dockworkers. This banner commemorates the victory of the 100,000 striking stevedores - a milestone in labour history.

The Lonsdale championship belt in Museum of London Docklands.

Johnny Brown's boxing championship belt

This golden Lonsdale Belt was won by bantamweight boxing champion Johnny Brown, a working-class sporting hero who grew up and lived in London's East End.

Workmen stack elephant tusks in a warehouse on the London Docks. Copyright PLA Archive/Museum of London.

Weighing and checking ivory on the London docks, 1930

Elephant tusks, here being loaded into a London warehouse, were just one of the thousands of rare cargoes imported by the docks. © PLA collection.

Staves of a tobacco hogshead being removed. Copyright PLA Archive/Museum of London.

Tobacco at Royal Victoria Dock, 1930

This image shows the wooden staves being removed from a hogshead of tobacco before it was weighed. Royal Victoria Dock was the heart of the port's tobacco trade. © PLA collection.

Bottling press

Wines and spirits were imported into the London docks in barrels. Specialist bottling facilities included labelling, corking and fitting foil to the top of the bottles.

Three PLA policemen jump into the Thames, 1930

These members of the Port of London police force were undertaking their annual life-saving practice at the West India Docks. © PLA collection.

Reconstructed model of a customs office from the Warehouse of the World gallery.

Look inside the recreated customs office

Customs officers had to check all the goods unloaded on the docks to levy the appropriate import duty. They worked from sheds like this one, built inside the quayside warehouses.

All the world's treasures for sale in London

This figure of a "Turkoman"- meaning someone from Turkey - stood outside a London grocer’s shop, advertising coffee imported from Turkey.

Sampling case

This is a dock sample cabinet with an amazing variety of different commodities. If a stray cargo was dropped on the quayside, the sample cabinet would be used to identify the commodity.

Take the smell test

London imported a bewildering variety of objects. Can you identify some of them by scent alone? Look out for spices, woods, tobacco and tar.

Gallery access

The gallery is open during the museum's normal hours:

10am-5pm, Monday-Sunday

The gallery is on the second floor and can be accessed by lift.