Guildhall Library - City of London Libraries

As temperatures in London soar we'd like to invite you all to the visit the library which is lovely and air conditioned. Feel free to drop in to use our computers, have a quiet sit down, study or even look at some of the wonderful items in our collections. Free and open to all!
This image is what would happen to our books if we didn't have climate controlled stores. From our German copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493.

It’s getting hotter! ☀️ How about a refreshing cordial mint water? This 1736 recipe includes a healthy amount of Claret… and mint, raisins, various seeds, liquorice, and then sieving through sugar and saffron. From ‘The Compleat City and Country Cook….’ by Charles Carter.

Would you try making this at home? Tell us about your own homemade drink recipes.

Celebrate Pride month with us! Come and see our display of important and fascinating books on the history of LGBTQ+ Londoners.🌈

From suppressed history to Celebration, activism, and community voices. Read together, they weave a tapestry of defiance and joy, reminding us that the city’s history is incomplete without the voices of its q***r citizens. All these titles from our collections are available to consult for interest or research.

Map of the City and West Central London in 1929 from the Greiben-Verlag travel guide ‘London und Umgebung, mit Insel Wight’ (London and Surroundings, with the Isle of Wight) Part of the Grieben Reiseführer series. These titles were also published in French and English and were considered to be cheaper and less detailed than rival travel publisher Baedeker. Informative and pocket-sized for the keen traveller.

‘Illustrations of the New Palace at Westminster’ (1849) by classical architect Charles Barry (1795-1860) Holds fine large scales plates of the Houses of Parliament showing views, plan drawings and details of this now iconic London landmark.

When entering the competition to design them, Barry turned to A.W. Pugin (1812-1852) to assist with the drawings. Pugin was a young architect who had devoted himself to Gothic architecture and clearly made an impression.

Part of the London Festival of Architecture display 12th June at Guildhall Library. 🏦

Celebrate Pride with us! Come join us this Thursday at 6pm for a talk on London's LGBTQ+ history using sources from the collections. We'll have some of our amazing books on display for you to look through after the talk. Booking via eventbrite.
🩷🤍🩵🤎🖤❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

In-Person Only: Guildhall Library LGBT+ Collections Focus Looking at the library’s sources for LGBT history.

New podcast episode alert!

Our former Principal Librarian, Peter Ross is on this month's British Food History podcast, talking about our amazing food history collections here at Guildhall Library

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/food-history-treasures-of-the-guildhall-library/id1577849126?i=1000771515012

The British Food History Podcast is available on all podcast apps.

It's the perfect time of year to be exploring London. 'Touring London' (1930) is a 'little book of friendly guidance' for visitors keen to see the sights. It's nice to think this was carried around in a pocket or bag nearly 100 years ago while the owner roamed London using a far less crowded transport system. 🚇

⭐️London Festival of Architecture⭐️

Friday 12th June 2026 - 1 PM - 4 PM

Our Relationship with London’s Historical Architecture.🏦

Drop-in event

Historic places connect us with the past which supports a sense of continuity, serving as a foundation of personal and collective identity. Anyone interested in discovering more about London's architectural history should visit Guildhall Library where an extensive exhibition and display of books and images will take you on a journey through time from Norman architecture through to Brutalism, exploring the stories behind London's development.

Book here:
bit.ly/4drBW56

Crystal Palace lives rent free in our minds.

The photographs are taken from 'Crystal Palace and district' which possibly published in 1900.

The structure was built for the Great Exhibition in 1851, but moved to Sydenham Hill in 1854. Crystal Palace was later destroyed by a fire in 1936.