Ephemera Events, News & Exhibitions

Whittington: The Man, The Myth, and the Cat

Until 30 April 2025

Dick Whittington (c. 1354 1423) is one of London's most famous historical figures, though much of his life is shrouded in legend. He was a wealthy merchant and politician who became Lord Mayor of London three times. Born into a prosperous family in Gloucestershire, Whittington moved to London in his youth, where he built his fortune through the cloth trade and other business ventures.

The story often includes the famous tale of his cat, which is said to have helped him make his fortune by chasing away rats in far-off lands. While the story of the cat is likely a later addition, Whittington's real-life achievements were significant.

As a philanthropist, he contributed generously to London's civic projects, funding improvements such as drainage systems, hospitals, and public buildings. His legacy also includes the rebuilding of Guildhall, which remains central to the City of London today. Whittington was renowned for his integrity and his deep concern for the welfare of the city's poor.

His story has endured in popular culture, largely due to the pantomimes and retellings that emphasise his rise from rags to riches.

This exhibition features chapbooks, children's books, printed ephemera, works relating to pantomimes and of course cats. The exhibiton is open Monday-Thursday 10-4pm.

• Guildhall Library
• Aldermanbury
• London
• EC2V 7HH
• UK

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RHS Carte de Visite Collection

Free Online Archive

The photos in the RHS carte de visite collection mostly depict 19th century nurserymen, flower growers, professional gardeners, botanists, and entomologists, many of whom are depicted nowhere else in the historical record.

The collection features some familiar (and less horticultural) faces, too, including Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray.

Can you help in identifying the handful of unnamed portraits among them?

View RHS Digital Collections

The Workers United

Online Exhibition

This exhibition commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Trades Union Congress through exploring the extraordinary holdings of the TUC Library Collections a centre for the study of trade unions and working life from the 19th century to the current day and now part of the Special Collections at London Metropolitan University.

The exhibition uses the Library's printed, manuscript and visual resources to explore the work and policies of the TUC since its foundation in 1868.

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Dressed to Deliver

Until February 2025

From smartly dressed Victorians and their buffed buttons to modern posties and their all-weather active wear this exhibition takes a closer look at postal uniforms.

Discover the battles won for uniform equality and the right to express identity, from the first female posties in trousers to important changes reflecting the cultural diversity of the UK's postal workforce.

• The Postal Museum
• 15-20 Phoenix Place
• London
• WC1X 0DA
• UK

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Adwomen

Until 28 April 2025

A new exhibition exploring 100 years of women in advertising.

The Museum of Brands and the History of Advertising Trust are bringing together the world's biggest archive of brand communication and the phenomenal collection of Robert Opie. AdWomen explores how advertising has both influenced and reflected women's societal and domestic roles over the past 100 years.

Drawing inspiration from the acclaimed Mad Women documentary, first aired on Channel 4 in May 2023, AdWomen celebrates the pioneering women who created groundbreaking TV ads that transformed the industry.

This exhibition features iconic adverts from the 1920s to the present day, focusing on both women's roles in the creation of adverts, and on their portrayal within them: highlighting what has changed, what remains the same, and how brands can better represent women in the future.

• Museum of Brands
• 111-117 Lancaster Road
• London
• W11 1QT
• UK

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