Membership
Become a Member and enjoy free access to exhibitions, previews, priority booking, freshly curated content and much more.
Join today
London: A Proud City 1851 - 2000
Online course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Explore the changing landscapes and history of London from the creation of Albertopolis to the dawn of the new millennium. A city shaped by empire and war, London was rebuilt and renewed as a global melting pot of cultures drawn from around the world…
- Learn from our world-class experts wherever, whenever: watch lectures live or view the recording later in your own time.
- Breadth and depth: more than 40 hours of study over 12 weeks.
- Consolidate your learning: download lecture notes, copies of the presentations, and additional study materials from our secure Microsoft Teams learning environment.
- Join the conversation: share your perspective with your fellow students, and support each other in your further enquiries outside of class time.
- Learn at your own pace: lecture recordings and study materials are available for up to 12 weeks after the course ends, so you'll never miss a minute.
V&A Academy Course Director
Mike Berlin
Mike Berlin is a Lecturer at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is a specialist in the social history of early modern London and has published extensively on the history of London’s guilds. Before joining Birkbeck, he was a research officer at the Centre for Metropolitan History, Institute of Historical Research.
This was a fantastic course, one of the best I have done and I do a lot of them! Many thanks to Mike and all the team. Online course attendee
Course overview
A city shaped by empire, war and decolonisation, London has gone from the heart of a vast and powerful imperium, an unrivalled centre of global trade and finance to becoming a global melting pot, shaped by the twin forces of modernisation and migration, seen in its architecture, art and design. This term course will explore the rich cultural and social history of a city whose fortunes waxed and waned with rise and fall of Imperial Britain, but which has always been sustained by the creativity and genius of its peoples, drawn from the four corners of the globe. Drawing on the work of cultural and social historians, V&A curatorial staff, and experts on art, design and fashion, we will explore the vicissitudes of London’s greatness as a world city, from the creation of Albertopolis to the dawn of the new millennium.
V&A Academy Online. A learning environment you can trust.
V&A Academy Online courses are built using the latest Microsoft software. Tune in to expert lectures live, or catch up later on demand. Download handouts and presentations. Join the discussion in a secure, closed class environment, wherever you are.
Enrol now
Online course: London: A Proud City 1851 - 2000
19 April 2023 - 5 July 2023
£395.00
Call to book +44 (0)20 7942 2000
Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)
Related events
Header image: Photograph by Emil Otto Hoppé of Eros, London, 1925. Museum nr. PH.263-2021