Exhibition: Stolen! Theft in the archives
Stolen! Theft in the archives
Exhibition open 12 October to 18 March 2027
Introduction
Did you know there was an attempted burglary of some important anti-fascist documents held at LSE Library? That the classic book On Liberty has two authors, not one? That an important piece of LSE art was stolen?
“Stolen! Theft in the archives” is an upcoming LSE Library exhibition open to all. Bringing together an international team of curators, we explore theft in different forms: wealth taken by others, ideas obscured by the published record, and robbed legacies. We show how theft shapes what we remember and what we forget. It features stories relating to Harriet Taylor Mill (co-author of On Liberty), documents from the investigation into the murder of socialist MP Giacomo Matteotti, the outcome of archival research by LSE students on Marxism, Hansa Mehta’s possible connection to LSE, the Fabian Society, AI, and more.
Exhibition curators
With thanks to our exhibition curators: Hannah Boroudjou, Daniel Brambilla-Payne, Chelsea Collison, Silvia Gallotti, Jo Ellen Jacobs, Niraja Gopal Jayal, Jakob Toet Jorsasl, Wendy Lynwood, Maria Nesheiwat, Aarun Parmar-Cunio, Ellie Potts, Isabella Paterson, Bruno Villalobos-Condezo.
Further information
Exhibitions are held in the Library Gallery by the entrance to our building.
The Gallery is a small enough space for a 15 minute tour — available on request.
From Monday 2 March 2026:
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm
- Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 6pm
Related reading
- Read Andrea Pisauro’s blog post “In the archives: the murder and legacy of Giacomo Matteotti”
- Watch a recording of a panel event discussing the Matteotti archives
- Read Niraja Gopal Jayal’s blog post “Hansa Mehta: An early Indian Feminist”
- Read Daniel Brambilla-Payne’s blog post “5 favourite images from Stolen! Theft in the archives” [link pending]
Read the exhibition guide
Download the exhibition guide [--] PDF
Digitised collections related to the exhibition
The Matteotti Documents
Material relating to the assassination of Italian socialist MP Giacomo Matteotti.
The Mill-Taylor Collection
Documents major nineteenth-century debates around utilitarianism, political economy, radical reform, women’s rights, education, Irish affairs, and social reform.
View the Mill-Taylor Collection
The Fabian Society Archive
Material produced by the Fabian Society between 1884 and 2009, including the Fabian Tracts, the Young Fabian pamphlets series and meeting minutes.
View the Fabian Society Archive
Exhibition events
Any questions?
Contact us via email or find out other ways to get in touch.
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