Jewish Museum - Camden

Events at Jewish Museum - Camden

• Jewish history in Britain since 1880

  Exhibition

  Recurring event

  Two million Jews left Eastern Europe between 1881 and 1914, fleeing persecution and economic hardship. Although most headed to the United States, some 150,000 settled in England, with large numbers settling in London's East End, near the docks where they had arrived. This permanent collection explores Jewish history in Britain since 1880.

   

• Jewish History in Britain Until 1880

  Exhibition

  Recurring event

  Jews have lived in England at least from the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. The medieval settlement came to an end in 1290 when Jews were banished by Edward I. Little material remains from that period other than the documents preserved in the National Archive; the museum owns two 13th Century wooden tallies used to record payments of tax. Despite the presence of a handful of Jews at different times during the Tudor and Jacobean periods, there was no official community in England until after 1655. This collection presents Jewish history in Britain until 1880.

   

• Paintings, Prints & Drawings

  Exhibition

  Recurring event

  The Jewish Museum has a small collection of paintings including portraits by Thomas Hudson, Tilly Kettle, Solomon Hart and Abraham Solomons among others. The museum's collection of historic prints and drawings was considerably augmented by the acquisition of the Rubens Collection, bequeathed by Alfred Rubens, one of its original founders. The range covers several print series of Ceremonies, popular in the 17th and 18th Centuries, anti-semitic cartoons produced at the time of the Jew Bill in 1753, and images of Jewish life and personalities from all over Europe.

   

• Photographic Archive

  Exhibition

  Recurring event

  The Photographic Archive consists primarily of black and white photographs of Jewish life in London from the late 19th Century onwards, but also reflects the diverse roots of Jewish people in Britain. The majority of images date from the 1900s to the 1940s, focusing on family and working life, and communal institutions. Many of the photographs were collected in association with specific exhibitions presented by the museum.