Museum of London
London

Crime Museum Uncovered,

Museum of London

The Crime Museum Uncovered, was a high profile temporary exhibition staged by the Museum of London, with a life-span of 6 months.

The exhibition was developed in association with the Metropolitan Police whose Black Museum was being closed due to their relocation from New Scotland Yard.

The Metropolitan Police wanted to show their unique and macabre collection of objects relating to numerous high profile crimes, which had been collected over the last 100 years and had never been shown to the public.

The Museum of London were looking for innovative design, which could cope with the sensitivity and nature of the collection, while creating a memorable visitor experience. GuM was appointed to deliver the exhibition design with Thomas Manss & Co, graphic designers.

For the first time ever, never-before-seen-objects from the Metropolitan Police’s Crime Museum are on public display at the Museum of London in the major exhibition, The Crime Museum Uncovered. Previously only accessible to police professionals and invited guests, the exhibition reveals the secrets of the Crime Museum, created by serving police officers since its establishment in 1875.

The exhibition, which was created with the support of the Metropolitan Police Service and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), takes visitors on a journey through real cases and how they were investigated. It will bring them close to the objects and evidence from some of the UK’s most notorious crimes, including the Acid Bath Murderer of 1949, the Great Train Robbery of 1963 and the Millennium Dome Diamond Heist of 2000. It will also examine some of the challenges faced in policing the capital, tackling themes from terrorism and espionage to counterfeiting and narcotics.

For six months only, visitors to the Museum of London can gain unprecedented access to highlights from the collection, established in the mid-1870s as a teaching tool to educate officers. The Museum of London has been working closely with the independent London Policing Ethics Panel in the planning of this exhibition and has discussed how to ensure the interests of victims are protected with Baroness Newlove, the Victims' Commissioner.

The exhibition won Highly Commended at the Museums and Heritage Awards in 2016.