Taking it further
The Thamesmead Community Archive seeks to serve as a focus of digital content including photographs, documents, oral history and much more relating to Thamesmead.
Like pieces to an infinite jigsaw the content is presented in a manner deliberately designed to encourage the curious to explore for items or topics that intrigue or inspire.
It is also hoped that the content may encourage individuals to pick-up some of the stories or featured content to look into that topic or subject in more detail.
Using archives can be both thrilling and frustrating at the same time. The site features content from a number of other libraries and archives and they are clearly acknowledged in the information panel that accompanies each piece of content.
GLC postcard: River
Other archives
Your interest in Thamesmead may be a geographical one — in which case further information about the area will be held in London Metropolitan Archives, Bexley Local Studies and Archives or the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust all detailed below.
The Bexley Local Studies and Archive Centre holds historic materials for the London Borough of Bexley
The London Metropolitan Archives holds a range of documents, images, maps, films and books which chart the history of London history from 1067 to the present day. If you’re tracing your family history, the history of your neighbourhood, or simply interested in London or Londoners, they are a key place to visit.
The Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust holds information relating to the present day Royal Borough of Greenwich, the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Greenwich and Woolwich and their predecessors. Following a move to a new location the archives are currently closed but should reopen in 2022.
If your interest is subject orientated there are many places to take your interests further — whether it is brutalism architecture, Stanley Kubrick or the GLC.
The Royal Institute of British Architecture collections is one of the largest and most wide-ranging architectural collections in the world. Over four million items together represent a unique body of knowledge that is rich and global in scope. You can also browse and search their online image library RIBApix.
The London Picture Archive contains over 250,000 images of London from the collections at London Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Art Gallery
Layers of London is a map-based history website developed by the Institute of Historical Research. Users can access free historic maps of London and contribute stories, memories and histories to create a social history resource about their area.
The Stanley Kubrick Archive is held by the University of East London
Bibliography
There are currently two books which focus specifically on telling the history of Thamesmead, they are:
The Town of Tomorrow; 50 Years of Thamesmead by Peter Chadwick and Ben Weaver (published 2019)
Featuring many of the images and stories featured on this site
Thamesmead: A Social History by Valerie Wigfall (published 2008)
A very readable account
