Collage The London Picture Archive

In 2017 London Metropolitan Archives celebrated London 950 in honour of its oldest document the 'William Charter', dated 1067. Part of this celebration was to recognise different aspects of London history, from the documents that record it to the buildings and people that reflect its diversity.

This gallery presents some of our finest historical photographs and prints of the many faces of London's past, each born in the capital and each well-known for their contribution to its history of architecture, politics, entertainment, and literature. Though a relatively small selection of names, from Mary Wollstonecraft to Sir Joseph Bazalgette, we hope their contribution is enough to inspire you to our search our collections for more images of famous Londoners.