The exhibition will be the first time members of the public have been able to see the items which are normally on display in the Met’s invitation-online Crime Museum at New Scotland Yard.
Items on display will include objects and evidence from some of the UK’s most notorious crimes, including the Acid Bath Murderer of 1949, the Great Train Robbery of 1963 and the Millennium Dome Diamond Heist of 2000.
Sharon Ament, Director of the Museum of London, said: “Crime is an unfortunate by-product of big-city life, and a reality that Londoners are all too familiar with.
“Challenging and disturbing; familiar and unsettling, The Crime Museum Uncovered will use select objects from this extraordinary, hidden collection to consider the changing nature of crime and advances in detection over the last 140 years.”
Met commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said the exhibition would give visitors “an insight into the evolution of crime investigation and criminal justice.”
He added: “The public will view exhibits from some of the most complex and indeed notorious criminal investigations carried out by the Met, and discover how such crimes were solved. I hope people enjoy visiting this exhibition.”
News of the exhibition was welcomed by London Assembly member Roger Evans who has long campaigned to open the 150-year old museum to the public.
Mr Evans said: “This taxpayer funded collection has been locked up for too long. Putting it on display is a great step towards having it cover its costs, but also for the promotion of the Metropolitan Police.
“These artefacts show off decades of great policing, with the Met solving some of the world’s most notorious crimes. An exhibition will increase public engagement, which could help with recruitment and even increase public confidence.”
The Crime Museum Uncovered runs from 9 October 2015 – 10 April 2016 and will be accompanied by a programme of talks and events. Tickets available from £12.50 online; £15 on the door. Wednesdays only; tickets from £10. For more info visit www.museumoflondon.org.uk
