Company buys a year of London history

A Morgan Advanced Ceramics product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 21, 2007

Company contributions to the Museum of London will be recognised by plaques on a timeline in the museum's new galleries.

Morgan Technical Ceramics' parent company, Morgan Crucible, has bought a year of London's history to celebrate the year the company was founded.

The company has made their purchase in a scheme set up by the Museum of London to raise funds for its GBP 18 million redevelopment.

For GBP 5000, businesses can name a year of London's history to celebrate their foundation, flotation or financial successes.

Their contributions will be acknowledged by plaques on a timeline in the new galleries.

Over 300 years of the capital's history, from 1666, the year of the Great Fire, to 2012, the year of the Olympic games, are up for grabs and on sale now.

Morgan has bought 1856, the year the five Morgan brothers, 'Druggist, Sundriesman and Hardware Merchants, Importers and Exporters, of Jewin Crescent in the City of London' set up a factory in Battersea to manufacture crucibles.

William Vaughan Morgan had seen a superior American crucible on show at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and subsequently negotiated manufacturing rights.

One hundred and fifty years later, the company can look back on its part in historical events like Blondin's tightrope walk of 1869, when one end of his rope was tethered to its Battersea site; the Russian Revolution, when the business was nationalised and the managers imprisoned; and World War II when the factory was a target for enemy bombers and, on one occasion, was only saved when two employees kicked an unexploded incendiary out of a pile of waxed cartons and away from danger.

Today Morgan produces many diverse products - from hip replacement joints to brake pads on the Space shuttle.

Opening in 2009, the Capital City development will transform the lower floor of the Museum of London to tell the story of the city over the last 300 years through the lives of Londoners - those born in London, working here, or who have moved here.

The new displays will contain more objects than ever, like Nelson's jewel encrusted sword, Suffragette banners and an Ozwald Boateng suit.

The scheme will also see the development of a new Clore Learning Centre, providing flexible and inspiring spaces for learners of all ages, an e-learning suite, object handling areas, a theatre and a central Sackler Hall containing an information zone and coffee point.

Professor Jack Lohman, Director of the Museum of London, says, "We are delighted that the Morgan Crucible company are supporting the re-development of the Museum, helping us to literally 'make history'".

"The 70,000 schoolchildren who visit the Museum each year and the many city workers who drop in during their lunch breaks will find the Museum transformed with exciting new displays containing double the number of objects to intrigue them".

"In 2009, people passing our distinctive roundabout will see the Lord Mayor's coach on show in all its glory in a new gallery with a glass frontage looking out onto London Wall at street level".

With its sale of years of London's history the Museum hopes to raise the final GBP 1 million needed to complete the project.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has already pledged GBP 11.5 million and the campaign has also attracted support from a variety of philanthropists, corporate contacts, trusts, foundations and individuals.

This campaign "selling" twentieth century years offers the chance to mark memorable events within living memory, like the end of World War II, the Coronation, England's 1966 World Cup win, or family birthdays and anniversaries.