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24Nov

Open archives: stolen stories from Marx Memorial Library and LSE Library

Hosted by LSE Library and the Marx Memorial Library
Marx Memorial Library & LSE Library
Tuesday 24 November 2026 2pm - 5pm

Join us for an exclusive exploration of the archives.

Meet at Marx Memorial Library, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition Stolen! Theft in the Archive at LSE Library.

At Marx Memorial Library, explore a selection of archival materials and discover the stories, people and movements connected to the theme of ‘stolen’ within its collections, including struggles against imperialism, campaigns for better pay, and the voices and experiences often hidden from official histories.

Then visit Stolen! Theft in the Archive at LSE Library, an exhibition exploring theft in its many forms, from documents smuggled into the Library and stolen art to wealth taken by others, ideas obscured by the published record, and histories lost through silence, including a selection of materials related to Marxism in a behind-the-scenes look in the LSE Library storeroom.

Across both collections, consider who gets to own, preserve and tell the stories of the past, and what happens when those histories are stolen, hidden or left behind?

Schedule

2 to 3.30pm - Meet at Marx Memorial Library (37A Clerkenwell Grn, London EC1R 0DU) to explore a selection of archives.

3.30 to 4pm - Make your way independently to LSE Library (approx. 20 walk, approx 25 min bus [243], 10 Portugal St, London WC2A 2HD)

4 to 5pm - Visit Stolen! Theft in the Archive exhibition for a guided tour and behind-the-scenes look at materials in the LSE Library archive storeroom.

Further information

The British Library of Political and Economic Science, known as LSELibrary, was founded in 1896, a year after the London School of Economics and Political Science. It has been based in the Lionel Robbins Building since 1978 and houses many world class collections, including The Women's Library and the Hall-Carpenter Archives.

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