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Historic collections
Find out about Southwark's historic collections of objects, archives and art and how to access them.
Cuming Museum collection
The Cuming family collected objects from all over the world and left them to the borough in 1902. These are the core of the Cuming Museum collection. It is as intact 19th century 'Cabinet of Curiosities' collection, one of very few still in existence. It includes:
- curiosities
- ancient history
- archaeology
- social history
- 19th century English popular art
- natural history
Gifts and donations were made to the museum during the 20th century, including the Lovett collection of London superstitions. The archaeology and social history collections tell the story of the development of Southwark and its people.
You can see objects from this collection in the permeant Story of Southwark gallery and in temporary exhibitions at Southwark Heritage Centre.
Visit Southwark Heritage Centre
View a selection of Cuming Museum objects online
Southwark Archives
The Southwark Archives collection includes a wide range of historic documents. The historic prints and photographs document the history and development of the borough. The collection also includes historic maps, ephemera and works of art on paper.
View a selection of Southwark Archives images online
Southwark art collection
We currently care for the Southwark art collection, which was formally housed at the South London Gallery.
The collection contains a variety of fine art, including around 250 Victorian oil and water-colour paintings and around 2000 works on paper, including prints. It also includes contemporary art by artists connected with south London.