Lost trades of Islington Exhibition

An exhibition remembering the forgotten trades of Islington's past takes place this week at London Metropolitan University.

Date: 13 November 2018

The Lost Trades of Islington exhibition, commemorating the forgotten trades of Islington’s past, launches this week in the Graduate Centre at London Metropolitan University.

Running from the 13 – 15 November, students and members of the public can attend the exhibition, which celebrates Islington’s industrial past. Islington was once a hotbed for many trades and industries that, as time and technology have progressed, have now largely disappeared. This year, the exhibition focuses on the stories of 10 people who worked in some of those various lost trades as a result of de-industrialisation. 

Jenny Harding, Professor of Cultural Studies and Communications at London Met, who with Professor John Gabriel, who lectures on Health and Social Care BSc, is a partner in the project, said: "The exhibition is the result of a highly successful collaboration between London Metropolitan University and community partners, Age UK and Islington Heritage Service. It is based on oral history interviews conducted by London Met students and older volunteers living in Islington.

"The exhibition aims to refuel that sense of strong community by organising guided tours of the area, celebrating and recounting Islington’s Industrial past. It also provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn about aspects of the industrial history of the area, which are little known."

Horse-drawn cart in Islington