By Jennifer Adam, Curator of the Bank of England Museum.
- This year, the Bank of England will mark 325 years since it was founded. To mark this anniversary, the Bank of England Museum will open a new special exhibition, 325 years, 325 objects.
- The exhibition highlights key developments in the Bank’s role and remit, but the main focus is on the place and the people rather than the technical work of the Bank. Key themes include life at the Bank, representation and inclusion.
- In the next few months the Bank of England Museum will be carrying out extensive audience research as we begin scoping options for a museum refurbishment. We plan to incorporate some of the stories in this temporary exhibition into the Museum’s future permanent displays.
Overview
The Bank of England officially came into being on the 27 July 1694, with the signing of its Royal Charter. Over 300 years later the Bank of England is the United Kingdom’s central bank, at the centre of a complex financial system, with well‑established roles in maintaining financial and monetary stability and regulating other parts of the banking system. It is also an employer, a body of staff, a workplace, and a building that has evolved through periods of industrial, technological and social revolution.
In July 2019, the Bank of England Museum will mark this anniversary with a new temporary exhibition, 325 years, 325 objects. Each section of the exhibition will provide a glimpse into an era of the Bank’s work and its social history, featuring many objects that haven’t been displayed before. At the centre of the exhibition is a new and unique artwork commission, which will become a permanent part of the Bank of England’s collections.
This article looks at some of the exhibition’s key themes, including changes in the way payments are made and aspects of life at the Bank. It is not a comprehensive catalogue of what is on display but a selection of highlights from the social history of the Bank since its foundation.
One of the key aims for this exhibition was to show a more diverse cast of characters from the Bank’s history. In particular, we wanted to include stories that reflected the presence of women at the Bank as both investors and, later, as staff.
Developing this exhibition has revealed some lesser known stories within our collections and has highlighted gaps that we hope to address in future.
An anniversary exhibition for the Bank of England: 325 years, 325 objects