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This Week in London – After 80 years, NHM gallery reopens to the public; Britain’s first Black schoolteacher, Francis Barber, honoured with a Blue Plaque; and, London Sculpture Week…

by exploringlondon
The gallery when it was used as the Osteology gallery in 1893. PICTURE: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum London

• A gallery at the Natural History Museum which has been sealed off to the public for 80 years has reopened with a new display exploring our relationship with the natural world through 50 objects. Among the objects on show in the Nature and Us exhibition are a miniature model of a Crystal Palace dinosaur; Jenny, a Victorian skeleton of a monk seal; a bryozoan-encrusted Star Wars toy from the 1980s; and a 400,000-year-old handaxe whose discovery transformed our understanding of when humans first existed. Visitors will also be able to touch a replica jaw of one of Britain’s earliest known domesticated dogs, dating to around 14,300 years ago. The gallery is open for an initial 18 months and visitors can have their say on what appears in the permanent gallery when it opens in 2029. Located on the second floor of the main Museum’s Waterhouse building, the gallery historically served as both an osteology (skeleton) gallery and a mammals gallery and, after the herbarium was damaged in World War II, was repurposed to house the botanical collection. It has been closed to the public until now. For more on the new gallery, visit www.nhm.ac.uk.

The City of London Corporation relaunches its Blue Plaques Scheme with a plaque honouring Francis Barber, the first known Black schoolteacher in British history, at Dr Johnson’s House in Fleet Street Quarter. PICTURE: Paul Grover/ Fleet Street Quarter BID

• Britain’s first Black schoolteacher, Francis Barber, has been commemorated by a Blue Plaque at the writer’s townhouse in the heart of the City of London’s Fleet Street Quarter. The plaque commemorating Dr Samuel Johnson’s former servant, friend, and heir was unveiled on Dr Johnson’s House in Gough Square as the City launches a redesigned “modern, transparent, inclusive” City of London Blue Plaques Scheme and marks 150 years since the City’s oldest Blue Plaque was unveiled honouring Dr Johnson at same historic site. Barber, a West African man born into slavery in Jamaica, came to London as a child and lived at Dr Johnson’s house from 1752 to 1756 where he worked as his servant. Dr Johnson, who compiled the Dictionary of the English Language (1755), supported him and his family throughout his life, and helped secure his financial future. Dr Johnson also named Barber as the sole heir and beneficiary of a Trust established in his will. Barber later became the first known Black schoolteacher in British history. The 17th century townhouse known as Dr Johnson’s House is now a museum and believed to be the only surviving property in the City that was home to a formerly enslaved person who later lived there as a free man. The plaque was unveiled by Alderman Tim Hailes and Michael Bundock, director of Dr Johnson’s House Trust and author of The Fortunes of Francis Barber. 

• London Sculpture Week kicks off on Saturday in a citywide celebration of London’s public art. The week – which brings together sculptures in the Fourth Plinth, East Bank, Frieze Sculpture, Sculpture in the City and The Line – includes the chance to gain new insights into London’s outdoor artworks through talks, walking tours, film screenings and other activities. Highlights include the 16th Fourth Plinth commission, Lady in Blue, Frieze Sculpture’s 14th edition which features the work of 11 leading international artists sited throughout the historic English Gardens of The Regent’s Park, and a walking tour organised by East Bank featuring works commissioned for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as recent East Bank commissions such as Larry Achiampong and David Blandy’s Trēow of Time and Thomas J Price’s A Place Beyond. There’s also a walking tour taking in the eight works in Sculpture in the City followed by the chance to sample canapés inspired by a selection of the sculptures, and a free wellbeing walk along The Line, East London’s public art trail. For the full programme, head to https://tinyurl.com/london-sculpture-week-2026.

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LondonLife – ‘Lady in Blue’ steps up to the Fourth Plinth…

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The latest sculpture to grace Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth, Lady in Blue, was unveiled last week.

Artist Tschabalala Self unveils her artwork, ‘Lady in Blue’, on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth in London on 10th September, 2026. PICTURE: Jeff Spicer/PA Media Ass
‘Lady in Blue’, unveiled by artist Tschabalala Self on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth in London on 10th September, 2026. PA Photo. PICTURE: Jeff Spicer/PA Media Ass

The work of New York artist Tschabalala Self, the bronze sculpture features a dress painted a vibrant blue and jewellery replicating the colour of lapis lazuli, used as a pigment since ancient times.

“My work Lady in Blue will bring to Trafalgar Square a woman that many can relate to,” says Self. “She is not an idol to venerate or a historic figure to commemorate. She is an everyday person much like the many who occupy the square daily. She is striding forward into our collective future with ambition, purpose and optimism.”

Self added: “I have always found London to be an inspiring city, London is to thank for many milestones in my life. My first institutional show was held here in London, along with my first major gallery exhibition. I have come to know London as a truly global metropolis, and Lady in Blue reflects the sophistication of this city.”

Lady in Blue is the 16th sculpture commissioned for the Fourth Plinth and follows on from Teresa Margolles’ Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant).

Self was announced as winning the commission in March 2024, along with Andra Ursuţa whose work will be unveiled on the Fourth Plinth in 2028. The artists are selected by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, chaired by Ekow Eshun. The decision is informed by the public who are invited to have their say on shortlisted works.

Lady in Blue will move to a permanent location in Fornebu, Norway, after it leaves Trafalgar Square in 2028.

This Week in London – Totally Thames underway; Open House London; monastic treasures from Kyiv; and, the Baa-Ewe Tapestry…

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The River Thames winds through London. PICTURE: Sander Crombach/Unsplash

• Totally Thames, London’s month-long celebration of the River Thames, has kicked off with a programme featuring dozens of events along a 42-mile stretch of the river. Highlights include this weekend’s Great River Race, which takes place on Saturday, in which almost 300 crews compete across 21.6 miles from Millwall Slip to Richmond in the city’s largest river marathon. Also returning this weekend is the St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival, now in its 17th year, which brings together more than 50 restored historic vessels, including Thames sailing barges, Dunkirk ‘Little Ships’ and steam tugs, as well as live music, talks and family activities. This Saturday also sees Sing for Water celebrate its 25th anniversary by bringing together more than 300 singers from over 40 choirs in support of WaterAid, in the Bargehouse Courtyard behind the OXO Tower. Other events across the month include the Hands on History Mudlarking Programme in which visitors to three sites – the Roman Amphitheatre under Guildhall Art Gallery, St Paul’s Cathedral and London Museum Docklands – can meet experienced mudlarkers, handle archaeological artefacts and see some of the thousands of objects found preserved in the river. There’s also an exhibition, Lost and Found, featuring the work of photographer Henry Reichhold, and the chance to board the historic sailing barge Raybel which has been tranformed into a live cultural venue for the event with a programme of live music, talks and mini performances. For more, check out https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on/.

People attending Guildhall as part of the Open House Festival. PICTURE: ©Anna-Rose McChesney

• Open House London returns this coming week with a nine day program of events. The 35th edition of the festival, which runs from 12th to 20th September, again gives people the chance to enter hundreds of buildings normally closed to the public. Highlights this year, alongside tours of such regulars as 10 Downing Street, the BT Tower and Broadcasting House, include the Lloyd’s Building, which was designed by Richard Rogers and opened in 1996, recording studio Strongroom which has hosted everyone from Nick Cave and Radiohead to The Chemical Brothers and produced such hits as the Spice Girls’ Wannabee and Little Simz Sometimes I Might Be Introvert and the remains of London’s Roman basilica and forum beneath Leadenhall Market. There’s also the chance to step inside Wapping Hydraulic Power Station and the West Ham Pumping Station as well as a series of ‘festival neighbourhoods’ including in Fitzrovia, Bankside and Piccadilly and Jermyn Street as well as other openings right across London’s boroughs. For the full programme of events, head to programme.openhouse.org.uk.

‘Sacred Treasures from Kyiv’ at V&A South Kensington. PICTURE: © David Parry/V&A

• Monastic treasures from Ukraine go on display at the V&A in South Kensington for the first time from Monday. Sacred Treasures from Kyiv features 18th-century sacred objects on loan from Ukraine’s ‘Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’ complex and includes seven objects including an Icon and a silver-bound altar Gospel, a diskos used to carry the Eucharist in Orthodox liturgy, and a silver gilded chalice depicting the crucifixion. The display marks the 975th anniversary of the founding of the Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is being accompanied by a programme of events. The display, which is free to view, can be seen until 17th September next year. For more, see www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/sacred-treasures-from-kyiv.

• A seven metre-long tapestry, inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and featuring Shaun the Sheep and friends, has been unveiled at the Natural History Museum ahead of the release of the upcoming film Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom on 18th September. The Baa-Ewe Tapestry, which was unveiled by Tom Daley, will be on display at the museum until 1st November. Created by a team of 15 designers and textile specialists, it took more than 180 hours to design and craft and features lovingly stitched scenes inspired by the film. For more, head to https://www.nhm.ac.uk.

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This Week in London – The Bayeux Tapestry blockbuster nears opening; new 9/11 display at IWM London; and, join a Star Trek world record attempt…

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The tapestry exhibition was advertised in Piccadilly Circus earlier this year. PICTURE: Courtesy of Trustees of the British Museum

• King Charles III and President Emmanuel Macron visited the Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition at the British Museum this week ahead of its opening to the public next week. On display in the UK for the first time since it was made, the tapestry depicts events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of 1066 and will be shown at the British Museum until July next year while its usual home in Bayeux, northern France, is being renovated. The tapestry was likely commissioned by a Norman patron – believed to be William the Conqueror’s brother Bishop Odo, and made by English embroiderers using manuscript drawings from Canterbury – the latter a fact which led the King to quip in his speech at the museum that it could have been named the “Canterbury Embroidery”. In exchange for the tapestry, the UK is loaning some treasures of the British Museum, including the Sutton Hoo Treasure and some of the Lewis chess pieces, to museums in France. The first batch of tickets to see what’s been described as a “wonder of the medieval world” have sold out with further tickets to be released in October and January. For more, see www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/bayeux-tapestry

• A new permanent photography exhibition featuring powerful images of the 9/11 attack on New York City opens at the Imperial War Museum London tomorrow. The images were taken by Bill Biggart, who died when the World Trade Center’s North Tower collapsed, and were retrieved with his camera from the wreckage. It is the first time the images have been shown in a public exhibition outside the US. The images are displayed around a section of steelwork recovered from Ground Zero and alongside other photographs taken by photojournalist Suzanne Plunkett in the streets surrounding the World Trade Center. On Saturday, IWM London will host IWM Reflections: 9/11, a free daylong event which brings together first-hand testimony, personal reflection, expert discussion and live music. Broadcaster and chartered counselling psychologist Dr Sian Williams will host the day which will also feature Janice Brooks, who was working in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on 11th September, 2001 as well as a string quartet from the English Chamber Orchestra performing Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, and a range of speakers exploring the wider legacy of 9/11 across journalism, the military response, faith and community. Entry to the exhibition and day is free. For more, see https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london.

• A world record attempt for the ‘Most People Performing a Vulcan Salute Simultaneously’ will take place at the Science Museum in South Kensington next Tuesday night. The attempt will take place at the museum’s free Star Trek Lates when visitors are encouraged to wear their finest Starfleet uniform and join the record attempt. It forms part of the global digital ‘Star Trek Vulcan Salute’ celebration which connects fans around the world and marks 60 years to the day since Star Trek made its US television debut in 1966. Visitors to the museum will also have a last chance to experience the Star Trek Warp Trail which brings together objects from the Star Trek archives and historic items on display in the museum as it explores the connection between the franchise and real-world scientific innovation. The trail is slated to close on 13th September. Star Trek Lates is free, but visitors must book a ticket in advance to attend and take part in the record attempt. For more, see www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/star-trek-lates.

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This Week in London – Notting Hill Carnival marks 60 years; a Wembley Park dance party; and the annual London Zoo weigh-in…

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A participant in 2025’s Notting Hill Carnival. PICTURE: Nicholas Bragger/iStockphoto

• The Notting Hill Carnival – Europe’s largest cultural event and the world’s second largest carnival – marks 60 years as it takes place in London’s west this weekend. Saturday sees the UK National Panorama Steel Band Competition Day take place in Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park (for ticketed guests only) while Sunday is the free Families and Children’s Day and Monday is Adults Day with the Adults Parade. The event traces its origins back to a children’s street party organised by local resident and social worker Rhaune Laslett in an attempt to bring together a neighbourhood that had been scarred by racial tension and conflict in the preceeding years. Laslett invited a steel band to play and, tying their pans around their necks, they processed down Portobello Road, bringing people out of their homes to dance and enjoy the music. For the full programme of events and more information, head to https://nhcarnival.org.

• The party continues at Wembley Park which will be transformed into a giant dance floor this weekend. Speaker Box Street Party will bring a free street dance event in Samovar Place, just off Olympic Way, on Saturday with five back-to-back dance sessions – Latin, Caribbean, Afro and Bollywood – followed by a Michael Jackson birthday celebration and Grand Final party. The free family event also involves a summer market and food stalls. Runs from 12pm to 5pm. For more, see www.wembleypark.com/speakerbox-dance-party.

• London Zoo held its annual “weigh-in” this week with capybara siblings Kiwi and Gizmo and Giant Magnolia Land Snail No 2 among those stepping on the scales (so to speak). The zoo weighs the animals as part of its efforts to monitor their health and shares measurements on the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) on Species360, a database which is shared with animal carers and conservationists around the world. For the record, female Kiwi came in at 45 kilograms and brother Gizmo at 50.5 kilograms while Giant Magnolia Land Snail No 2 weighed 102.5 grams. For more, head to www.zsl.org.

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This Week in London – ‘Pressure’, D-Day and the HMS Belfast; ‘Imagining Animals’ at the Tower; and, the story of a sextant at Greenwich…

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HMS Belfast. PICTURE: Adam Bignell/Unsplash

A helmet worn by a member of the American 101st Airborne Division killed on D-Day, a pocket-watch used to time the bombardment off Normandy, and the personal diary of Group Captain James Stagg – whose role on D-Day is captured in the upcoming film, Pressure – are among the objects on show in a new display on HMS Belfast. The display, Pressure: D-Day Decision, which opens tomorrow in a partnership between the Imperial War Museum, STUDIOCANAL and the Met Office, takes a deeper look at the events which took place on the day aboard a ship that was there. As well as Sergeant Floyd Jakob ‘Bud’ Corrington’s helmet, other highlights also include the original so-called ‘God of War memo’ on which General Dwight D Eisenhower (played by Brendan Fraser in the film) scrawled a note to Stagg (played by Andrew Scott) on the weather report he produced for 19th June (one of the only possible alternative dates for D-Day) in which he thanked “the Gods of war that we went when we did”. The display also features audiovisual content with oral testimonies from Kay Summersby (Eisenhower’s personal secretary, played by Kerry Condon in Pressure), meteorologist, George Lawrence Hogben and Group Captain James Stagg along with extracts from personal letters discovered within IWM’s collection that offer a glimpse into the hopes, fears and emotions of those on the D-Day frontlines. There’s also a chance to further explore the D-Day history of the HMS Belfast including the experiences of the 28 men who operated the ship’s guns in Y Turret as well as view a copy of the ship’s logbook and official record of its actions on 6th June, follow the path of the ammunition that powered HMS Belfast’s bombardment, and see where wounded troops were treated onboard in the Sick Bay. Runs until 11th April. Pressure opens in the UK on 9th September. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/pressure-the-d-day-decision.

• Inspired by the menagerie of beasts once kept there, the Tower of London will host a range of extraordinary creatures brought to life using large-scale puppetry, music and movement. The work of artists Mervyn Millar and Suzy Willson, Imagining Animals will see visitors to the Tower come across a range of different animals as they explore the fortress – everything from a bear ambling across the parade grounds to a sudden flamboyance of flamingoes and a giant serpent slithering out of view. There’s also a community art installation in which people have created small birds for display representing their wishes or hopes for the future. Runs until 31st August and included in general admission. For more, see https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/imagining-animals/.

• The story of a 19th century sextant is at the centre of a new display at the Old Royal Naval College’s visitor centre in Greenwich. The sextant, once an essential navigational tool when at sea, was among items from the Bigg-Wither Collection acquired by the Old Royal Naval College last year. As well as exploring how the sextant was made and used, the display also touches on wider stories about naval education, exploration and the people connected with Greenwich including Captain Guy Plantagenet Bigg-Wither who served in the Royal Navy before becoming Deputy Director of the first Royal Navy Staff College at Greenwich. For more, head to https://ornc.org/whats-on/visitor-centre-display-a-journey-through-the-stars/.

This Week in London -The Banqueting Hall reopened; new loans at The National Gallery; and, 40 years of the Freud Museum London…

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Rubens’ famous painting on the ceiling of the Banqueting House. PICTURE: Serg Bataev/Unsplash

• The Banqueting House in Whitehall has reopened following a major project upgrading the building facilities with a new display on the history of the lost Palace of Whitehall. Visitors to the building will learn about the lost palace – of which the Banqueting House is one of the last surviving parts – and see the house’s magnificent ceiling painted by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens. Included is the chance to recline underneath the ceiling on cushioned benches and in bean bags and access specially created digital content to enrich your experience. This weekend BBC Radio presenter Georgia Martin and sound engineer Rob Winter will bring their Classical DJ project to the house, featuring a soundtrack inspired by the drama of the Stuart court and the Rubens ceiling. Admission charge applies. Runs until 20th September. For more, see www.hrp.org.uk.

• Catch a glimpse of the arts scenes of Barcelona, Berlin and Paris at the beginning of the 20th century via three new loans on show at The National Gallery. Joining a collection of works by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas and George Bellows in the gallery’s Room 45 is American artist Marsden Hartley’s abstract work – Painting No 50 (1914–15), as well as Pablo Picasso’s Portrait of Germaine (1902) – the only Blue Period work by Picasso currently on display in a London museum. Meanwhile, Monet’s Waterlilies (1905) completes a group of four of the artist’s ‘Water-Lily’ works on display in Room 46. Admission is free. For more, see nationalgallery.org.uk.

• The 40th anniversary of Freud Museum London is being marked with a new display. Opening next Wednesday, the display features items from Sigmund Freud’s collection of antiquities as well as family treasures. Runs from next Wednesday until 14th February. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.freud.org.uk/

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London Explained – The Royal Standard flying above Buckingham Palace…

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You may have seen the Royal Standard flying above Buckingham Palace. What does it signify?

The Royal Standard flying above Buckingham Palace. PICTURE: David Adams

Typically the Royal Standard is flown over a royal residence only when the monarch is physically present and in residence.

But a refurbishment of Buckingham Palace has meant King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been living in Clarence House while in London and, as a result, the Royal Standard flying over both the palace and Clarence House.

The King has announced, meanwhile, that while Buckingham Palace will remain the primary venue for ceremonial and official functions, he and the Queen intend to continue to reside at Clarence House even after the completion of the renovation project next year.

Which means that the current situation will continue including flying the Royal Standard above both properties when the King is in London, and flying the Union Jack from the top of the palace flagpole when he’s not.

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Interestingly, until 1997, the Royal Standard was the only flag to ever fly above Buckingham Palace (and never at half-mast for there is always a monarch on the throne – although, there was an error following the death of King Edward VII in 1910 when it apparently did so for several hours before being was corrected).

Following public outcry after the death of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II ordered the Union Jack to be flown at half-mast over the palace during her funeral.

And it has since flown at half-mast on numerous occasions, including for the death of former PM Margaret Thatcher and members of the royal family including the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret as well as on other occasions of national mourning such as the terrorist bombings in London in 2005.

This Week in London – Diana memorial playground reopens; ‘Does my head look big in this?’ and an appeal for Dunwich Heath…

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• The world-famous Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens reopened to the public this week after a £3 million renewal project. The Peter Pan-inspired playground, which was reopened on Wednesday, the National Day of Play, first opened in 2000 to commemorate the princess who had lived at nearby Kensington Palace. The free to enter playground features a brand new 17-by-12-metre galleon moored on a sandy beach, a “treehouse of dreams”, brand new water play area and a redesigned area for younger children featuring timber houses, play ships and a large sandpit. For more, head to https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/kensington-gardens

• On Now: Does my head look BIG in this? The art of portrait caricature. This exhibition at the Cartoon Museum in Bloomsbury charts the art of portrait caricature from its origins in Renaissance Italy through its “golden age” of 18th century England to its use in the present day. Admission charge applies. Runs to 1st November. For more, see https://www.cartoonmuseum.org/whats-on-exhibitions/does-my-head-look-big-in-this-the-art-of-portrait-caricature.

• Further afield: The National Trust has launched a public appeal to restore Dunwich Heath in Suffolk after a wildfire decimated the heathland and wiped out the habitat of some of the country’s rarest species. “We are looking at total devastation of a beloved and important landscape,” said the Trust’s Director-General Hilary McGrady. “We’ve lost precious habitats, wildlife, trees, and a place where people have made memories over generations. It’s heartbreaking. But together we can and will restore Dunwich, and crucially, make it more resilient and better adapted for the climate we’re facing now, and the climate we’ll be facing in future.” The heath and the neighboring RSPB Minsmere reserve is an especially important area for birds such as nightjars, skylarks and the very rare Dartford warbler, as well as adders, lizards and slow-worms, and butterflies including the rare silver-studded blue. To help with the appeal, head to nationaltrust.org.uk/dunwich-heath-appeal.

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LondonLife – ‘Chromatic States’…

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ALL PICTURES: Courtesy of Outernet

A new free immersive experience exploring our connection to colours can be found at Outernet London in Tottenham Court Road in the West End. Created by global experience studio Pixel Artworks, Chromatic States uses colour, space, sound and shapes to explore how colour can be felt. The experience guides visitors through distinct emotional states – ‘Tension’, ‘Float’ and ‘Wonder’ – hosted in Outernet’s Now Trending and Arcade spaces. For more, head to https://www.outernet.com.

This Week in London – ‘Childhood in War’; ‘A Century of American Photography’; and, Monet and Renoir reunited…

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An image from the Childhood in War display. PICTURE: Courtesy IWM London

• The impact of war on children is the subject of a new exhibition opening at IWM London on Friday. Childhood in War spans the period from World War I to today when more than one in six children globally – more than 450 million – live in areas impacted by war. It features personal testimonies, interactive and hands-on experiences and items from child rights organisations including UNICEF, Right to Learn Afghanistan and War Child. Designed with both families and adult visitors in mind, highlights include a teddy bear still treasured by Holocaust survivor John Hadj, a red knitted jumper given to Jochewet Heidenstein shortly before he and her sisters departed for the UK as part of the Kindertransport at the start of World War II, a large-scale evacuee train carriage, recreations of 20th century war games and reconstructed rooms including a child’s bedroom during World War II and a Cold War-era living room and kitchen. There are also contemporary stories from places including Afghanistan, Ukraine and Sudan. Runs until 28th February, 2027. Admission is free. For more, see iwm.org.uk/events/childhood-in-war.

Arthur Leipzig, ‘Divers, East River’ (1948) © Estate of Arthur Leipzig, Courtesy of Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

• More than 100 landmark works by some of the most influential photographers of the 20th century sit at the centre of Dulwich Picture Gallery’s new exhibition, Portrait of a City: A Century of American Photography. The gallery’s second major photography exhibition, the display opens in the early 1900s, charts the impact of the Wall Street crash of 1929 and then turns to the rise of photographic modernism, how dramatic physical changes reshaped American cities in the mid-20th century and depictions of life on the margins before concluding with a presentation of Bruce Davidson’s renowned Subway series (1980–85). Featuring the works of some 38 artists, other highlights include Lewis Hine’s Riding the Ball High up on Empire State (1930), Dorothea Lange’s White Angel Breadline, San Francisco (1933),  Helen Levitt and Saul Leiter’s studies of street life and works by arry Winogrand, Diane Arbus and Lee Friedlander. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, La Grenouillère (1869), © On loan from Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. Gift 1924 unknown donor through Nationalmusei Vänner

• Claude Monet’s Bathers at La Grenouillère and Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s La Grenouillère (both of which date from 1869) are being shown together in The National Gallery for the first time in 19 years ahead of the gallery major new exhibition, Renoir and Love. Painted side-by-side from a similar vantage point the gallery says the works “capture a defining moment in the birth of Impressionism” and provides a glimpse into the friendships and spirit of experimentation which will be explored in the upcoming exhibition (opening in October). The two paintings can be seen until mid-September. Admission is free. For more, see https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk.

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This Week in London – ‘Caribbean Takeover’ at the National Maritime Museum; Richard Dadd at the Royal Academy; and, British wildlife through the lens…

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PICTURE: Yangki Suara/Unsplash

• The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich hosts the annual ‘Caribbean Takeover’ – a family-friendly event celebrating Caribbean culture, history and heritage – this Saturday. The event, which marks 60 years of the Notting Hill Carnival, brings together artists, historians, performers and community groups. The day will feature live music, dance performances, talks, creative workshops and community-led displays with highlights including steel pan music and African drumming, calypso dance and limbo, performances on the Ocean Map, and interactive experiences. The event, which runs from 10am to 5pm, is free. For more, see https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/national-maritime-museum-queens-house/caribbean-takeover.

• The work of Victorian artist Richard Dadd (1817-1886) is at the centre of a new exhibition opening at the Royal Academy of Arts this Saturday. Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam, the first exhibition devoted to his work in more than 50 years, features around 100 oil paintings, drawings and watercolours and charts his life as a student at Royal Academy schools, his travels and the final 42 years of his life as a patient in Bethlem and Broadmoor Hospitals. Recognised early on for his skill at rendering detail, Dadd went on a tour of the eastern Mediterranean in 1842 but began experiencing delusions as the trip and, on returning to England, killed his father whom he believed to be the Egyptian god Osiris. He fled to France but was apprehended and spent the remainder of his life in hospitals – first at Clermont, north of Paris (1843-44), and then at Bethlem in Lambeth (1844-64), and finally at Broadmoor in Berkshire (1864-65). Highlights include the fairy painting Titania Sleeping (1841) and Scene from Hamlet (1840) as well as works from his time in hospitals including Contradiction. Oberon and Titania (1854-58), The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke (1855-64) and Portrait of a Young Man (1853). Runs in the The Jillian and Arthur M Sackler Wing of Galleries until 25th October. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.royalacademy.org.uk.

• On Now: British Wildlife Photography Awards 2026. Some 72 images and video from the awards have gone on show at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in South London. Highlights include Paul Hobson’s A Toad Swims Across Its Woodland Pond (Grand Prize Winner and winner in the Black & White category); Ben Lucas’ Feathery Pillow, depicting a mute swan cygnet taking a nap on its sibling’s back (The Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026); Sarah Darnell’s The Fur Flew image of a pair of hares boxing (runner up in the Animal Behaviour category); Felix Belloin’s Through the Lavender showing a neighbourhood fox visiting his garden (runner up in the Animal Portraits category); Barry Webb’s Slime Moulds and a Water Droplet (winner in the Botanical Britain category). The free display can be seen until 21st February next year. For more, see horniman.ac.uk.

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LondonLife – A Banksy at Waterloo Place…

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PICTURE: Nick Page/Unsplash

This Week in London – Buckingham Palace’s Picture Gallery redisplayed; ‘Henry VIII’s Joust’ at Hampton Court Palace; and, Paul Sarrut’s images of World War I…

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The Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace has undergone a once-in-a-generation redisplay and opens to the public as part of the palace’s summer opening today. PICTURE: © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026/Royal Collection Trust – Ben Fitzpatrick

• Some 120 masterpieces from the Royal Collection – including paintings by Rubens, Caravaggio and Zoffany – have gone on display in Buckingham Palace’s Picture Gallery in a major transformation of the storied room. The new presentation, which almost doubles the number of works on show, comes as the palace’s State Rooms open to visitors for summer. Highlights of the redisplay, which took some 875 hours to complete, include Johan Zoffany’s The Tribuna of Uffizi which depicts the famed Florentine gallery with works by Holbein, Rubens and Raphael all identifiable, as well as George Stubbs’ A Rough Dog, believed to show King George IV’s pet dog, Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait of Johann Christian Fischer, not believed to have been hung in the gallery display before. Other new works include The Letter by Vermeer contemporary Gerard ter Borch, and Caravaggio’s The Calling for Saints Peter and Andrew while five paintings by Rembrandt have now been hung together and seven works by Rubens have been reunited. The gallery was created during the John Nash-designed redevelopment of what had been Buckingham House into Buckingham Palace and while King George IV died before its completion, the first arrangement was hung by the time Queen Victoria acceded to the throne in 1837. Open until 27th September. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.rct.uk.

• See jousting amid the drama of the Tudor court at Hampton Court Palace over the next two weekends. ‘Henry VIII’s joust’ will take visitors back to 1526 when they can watch knights clash on horseback while tensions build as it’s discovered Anne Boleyn has not been formally invited to the event. The family friendly event, which is taking place over the weekends of 11th and 12th July and 18th and 19th July, is included in general admission to the palace. For more, see https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/.

• The first ever UK exhibition dedicated to the work of World War I French liaison officer and interpreter Paul Sarrut has opened at the National Army Museum in Chelsea. Drawn on the Western Front: Paul Sarrut and the Indian Army features more than 50 drawings and works on paper exploring the experiences of some of the more than a million Indian men who volunteered to serve in the British Indian Army during the war. The display features Sarrut’s famous image of Sepoy Harnam Singh as well as also uniforms, photographs, archives and medals. The latter include Victoria Crosses awarded to Frank de Pass, the first Jewish recipient, and Khudadad Khan, the first Muslim and first soldier from the Indian subcontinent to receive the award. Free to enter. Runs until 27th February, 2027. For more, see https://www.nam.ac.uk.

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This Week in London – America’s 250th at the British Museum; Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller’s landscapes; and, ‘rival queens’ at the Foundling Museum…

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Washington Peace Medal PICTURE © The Trustees of the British Museum

• The Washington Peace Medal, engraved to bear a portrait of George Washington by Paul Revere in 1777, is at the heart of a new exhibition at the British Museum marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Declaring independence: USA 250 also features a ceremonial copy of the Declaration of Independence, handwritten in sheepskin and on loan from the West Sussex Record Office, known as the Sussex Declaration (it will be added halfway through the display’s run), a wampum belt representing the diplomacy between the Lenape people and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in 1712 (the Lenape later signed the Treaty of Fort Pitt in 1778 with the Revolutionaries in what was the first formal treaty between an Indigenous Nation and the United States), and a pipe tomahawk given to Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk, Haudenosaunee leader, which represents the Mohawk alliance with the British. The free display can be seen in Room 3 until 29th November. For more, see www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/declaring-independence-usa-250.

• The first UK exhibition of the works of Austrian painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (1793-1865) – and the first to be devoted solely to his landscapes – opens at the National Gallery today. Waldmüller: Landscapes features about 14 works including landscapes depicting scenes in the Prater, Vienna’s famous park, the Alpine region near Salzburg in Austria known as the Salzkammergut, views of Sicily, and later works such as Early Spring in the Vienna Woods (1861). Waldmüller, who was trained at the Academy in Vienna, visited London in 1856, bringing with him 34 works which were sold at auction following a private audience with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, each of whom bought one. The exhibition in Room 1, which has been organised in cooperation with the Belvedere, Vienna, runs until 20th September. Admission is free. For more, see www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/waldmüller-landscapes.

• A new display celebrating 300 years since the debut of two operas by George Frideric Handel in London – Alessandro and Scipione – is running at the Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury. 300 Years of the ‘Rival Queens’: Handel’s 1726 Opera Season focuses on Italian soprano Faustina Bordoni and her rival Francesca Cuzzoni and how Handel carefully composed operas with two equally important roles to suit both singers, known as the ‘rival queens’. Admission charge applies. Runs until 25th October. For more, see https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/event/handels-1726-opera-season/

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This Week in London – Documents from the American Revolution; Frida Kahlo’s impact; and, ‘Mirror Moon’ at the Royal Observatory…

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• Some of the most significant letters, papers, maps and documents of the period of the American Revolution have gone on display at the National Archives in Kew. Revolution 250: America’s Independence Story (1763-1783) features a rare Dunlap print of the declaration itself as well as the Tea Act, which ultimately led to the Boston Tea Party, a British officer’s account of the tea party event and the ‘Olive Branch petition’ sent to King George III from representatives of the 13 colonies in what represented a last attempt to avoid war. Also on show are King George III’s Proclamation of Rebellion declaring that the 13 colonies were in revolt and the Treaty of Paris in which Britain accepted American independence. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

‘Untitled [Self-portrait with thorn necklace and hummingbird]’ (1940). Nickolas Muray. Collection of Mexican Art.

• The first major exhibition exploring how artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) became a global icon and a key influence on later artists has opened at Tate Modern. Frida: The Making of an Icon, developed in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, features more than 30 works by Kahlo including rarely seen self-portraits such as Self-Portrait (With Velvet Dress) (1926) as well as photographs and personal artefacts. Other highlights include Diego and Frida (1929), Survivor (1938), Memory (The Heart) (1937), Girl With A Death Mask (1938) and My Dress Hangs There (1933-38). Runs until 3rd January. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/frida-kahlo-the-making-of-an-icon.

• Luke Jerram’s Mirror Moon is on display at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich in a celebration of 350 years of studying the Moon from the site. The scale model, two metres in diameter, is made from mirrored stainless steel and draws on highly accurate topographical NASA data of the lunar surface. For more, see www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory/attractions/mirror-moon

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This Week in London – Sir Lawrence Olivier honoured with a Blue Plaque; Anne Boleyn at the Tower; and the Elfin Oak restored…

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• Sir Lawrence Olivier, one of the finest actors of the 20th century, has been honoured with an English Heritage Blue Plaque at his childhood home in Pimlico. The plaque, which was unveiled by Sir Ian McKellen, has ben placed on 22 Lupus Street where Olivier lived from ages six to 11 and where he first began taking steps toward the acting career that would make him famous, creating a makeshift stage and performing songs, dances and dramatic sketches for hours at a time. Olivier, whose father served as curate at nearby St Saviour’s Church, attended All Saints School in St Margaret’s Street during this time and it was there that actress Ellen Terry saw his talent and declared that even at the age of 10, he was already a great actor. Olivier would, of course, go on to be a star of the stage before becoming a Hollywood icon and, later, the first director of the National Theatre of Great Britain. For more, see www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/.

PICTURE: Juhi Sewchurran/Unsplash

• The Tower of London is preparing for the coronation of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, in the 1530s. Pop-up performances are taking place at the Tower until 14th August which put visitors right in the thick of the action. Anne herself will be seen at the Tower from 25th July when visitors will have the chance to ask her a question and take a selfie with her. Admission charges apply. For more, see www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/

• The famous Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens has been given something of a facelift with 97 of the figurines which adorn the tree being restored. The Elfin Oak was first unveiled in 1930. A mature oak, brought from Richmond Park, children’s book illustrator Ivor Innes had carved miniature figurines around the natural features the tree. As well as restoring the figures, the recent project also included work to improve visibility of the tree through the protective fencing. For more, see www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/kensington-gardens.

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This Week in London – American independence documents; 120 years of the Piccadilly Line and Food Season at the British Library…

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The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. PICTURE: Phil Lev/Unsplash

• One of the earliest British reports of American independence is at the heart of a temporary display at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Opening on Monday, the display – which marks the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4th July – features a letter dated 10th July, 1776, and a handwritten copy of the Declaration made between 5th and 10th July, 1776, which were sent to John Mantagu, 4th Early of Sandwich and First Lord of the Admiralty by Vice-Admiral Molyneux Shuldham, commander-in-chief of the North American Station. The documents are believed to be the first written accounts of American Independence to reach Britain and pre-date the first known arrival of a copy of the Declaration of the Continental Congress, known as the Dunlap Broadside, in August the same year. The documents will be on display in the Caird Library. Admission is free but requires a ticket. To register in advance, head to rchiveandlibrary.rmg.co.uk/aeon.

• A season of events to celebrate 120 years of the Piccadilly Line is taking place over the next few months at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. The events include a creative workshop on Saturday in which participants can take inspiration from the line to create a unique textile artwork, a talk featuring railway historian and broadcaster Tim Dunn on 22nd August and the chance to go behind the scenes at the Museum Depot open days in September. For more, see www.ltmuseum.co.uk.

• The British Library’s annual Food Season, now in its seventh year, kicks off on Saturday with the Food Season Big Weekend, a two day celebration featuring talks, tastings and live events. Among those appearing over the weekend are River Café co-founder Ruthie Rogers and culinary icon and actor Simon Russell Beale who is looking at the role of food in Shakespeare. The season runs until 2nd July. Others involved include food critic Jay Rayner chairing a discussion on chef Anthony Bourdain’s legacy, classicist Mary Beard and writer Charlotte Higgins exploring the food culture of ancient Pompeii and long-time friends and cultural icons Neneh Cherry and Andi Oliver reflecting on four decades of their shared life across music, food and family. Admission charges apply. For the full programme, head to https://events.bl.uk/whats-on/food-season.

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This Week in London – William Tyndale’s New Testament; Marilyn Monroe portraits; and, the Great Exhibition Road Festival…

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PICTURE: Alex Tai/Unsplash

• The 500 year story of one of the smallest yet most revolutionary books in English history is being told at St Paul’s Cathedral. A Dangerous Calling: 500 Years of William Tyndale’s New Testament, which opens tomorrow, provides a rare chance for visitors to see a first edition of Tyndale’s translation up close in the cathedral library (one of only three in existence) as well as access to a new digitised version on the cathedral floor. The exhibition can be seen until 27th February. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.stpauls.co.uk/whats-on/exhibition-dangerous-calling-500-years-of-william-tyndales-new-testament

• Marilyn Monroe’s life, career and legacy is the subject of a new exhibition which opened at the National Portrait Gallery this week. Marking 100 years since her birth, Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait features works by the likes of Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty, Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon. There’s also unseen photographs portraits taken by Allan Grant at Monroe’s Brentwood residence a day before her death in August, 1962, in a session for Life magazine. The display can be seen until 6th September. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/marilyn-monroe-a-portrait

• The Great Exhibition Road Festival kicks off in South Kensington this weekend, marking 175 years since the 1881 Great Exhibition. The event features workshops, talks, performances and installations with organisations ranging from the Natural History Museum and Science Museum taking part along with Imperial College London, the Royal Parks, the V&A and Royal Albert Hall. For more on the festival, head to https://www.greatexhibitionroadfestival.co.uk/.

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This Week in London – Lost music venues; the Iraq war remembered; and, ‘Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style’ extended…

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• Lost UK music venues are recalled in a new exhibition opening at the V&A in South Kensington on Saturday. Lost Music Venues features more than 100 objects celebrating 50 lost venues and includes gig posters, membership cards, club photography, band merch, and subculture fashions which have been gathered together following a call to the public. Highlights include handwritten Oasis lyrics, a Blur set list, Mark Webber’s briefcase from his stint as Pulp’s tour manager, the exterior sign from the Astoria London, Joan Baez’s note of support for Rainbow Theatre, a poster for an early Banksy exhibition held at The Arches, a bespoke club outfit designed by Vivienne Westwood, and flyers from Plastic People. Free to visit, the display can be seen until 30th October, 2027. For more, see vam.ac.uk.

• Marking the 15th anniversary of the end of the war in Iraq, a Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle will go on display outside the National Army Museum from next Tuesday to Sunday, 14th June. The vehicle has been recently decommissioned after more than 40 years of Army service and was present during operations in Iraq in 2004. It was almost certainly the vehicle in which then-Private Johnson Beharry earned the Victoria Cross for two separate acts of bravery under sustained enemy attack. Now Warrant Officer Class 1, Beharry became the first living British soldier in 35 years to be awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroic actions in saving the lives of his comrades during ambushes in Iraq. In the first, after his platoon commander was wounded in an attack on 1st May, 2004, Beharry took control of a Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle and, despite being severely injured, he led his patrol to safety under heavy machine-gun fire from the enemy. In the second incident on 11th June, 2004, Beharry, who sustained a severe head injury when a rocket-propelled grenade detonated just six inches from his head, still managed to drive his vehicle out of danger and saved the lives of those around him before losing consciousness. Beharry’s Victoria Cross will be among the first medals from Lord Ashcroft’s collection of Victoria Crosses and George Crosses to go on display inside the museum from 2nd June. His Iraq Medal and Kosovo Medal will also be on display. For more, see https://www.nam.ac.uk/.

• Buckingham Palace have announced the landmark centenary exhibition at the King’s Gallery marking the centenary of the late Queen’s birth – Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style – will be extended by six months due to popular demand. The exhibition, which will now close on 18th April next year, is the largest exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion ever staged featuring more than 300 items drawn from her personal fashion archive. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.rct.uk/queenelizabeth.