Executions – Museum of London Docklands

An informative and thoughtfully-curated exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands, Executions does not shy away from London’s bloody past.

Executions

As an exhibition, Executions basically does what it says on the tin. It’s about executions. Specifically in London. Centuries of bloodshed and violence, baying crowds and those making money off them. Places that seem genteel to us now only because we have forgotten their former associations. Popular stories and ballads memorialising the tragic stories of doomed souls. Changing attitudes, not always for the reasons that we might assume.

The point is that London’s history is replete with executions. Tens of thousands of people met their end this way in London. Bodies or body parts of the executed were once a normal sight at key points in the city. Over 200 crimes carried the death penalty by the end of the 18th Century. Anywhere you care to name in London, particularly the City of London, is close to one or more execution sites. It’s not a forgotten history, but it’s one we don’t care to think about too often.

The Museum of London clearly has no shortage of objects related to this side of the city’s history. Curator Beverly Cook and team have crafted an exhibition which groups objects by theme, and packs a lot into the relatively small exhibition space of the Museum of London Docklands. Let’s explore the exhibition then, and see what insights into London’s past we can uncover.

London’s Bloody History

As I mentioned above, Executions is curated thematically. We start with perhaps the most salacious bit, maybe to get it out of the way. The opening corridor is lined with descriptions of different types of executions, with relevant illustrations and quotes. Executions, the texts remind us, were a deterrent as much as a punishment. The most horrible deaths were therefore reserved for the crimes which transgressed the farthest. We know about hanging, drawing and quartering. Bad, but the worst bits happened once you were already dead. Beheading was mostly reserved for the nobility, out of respect for their high status. Hanging is an obvious one. But did you know that boiling was an official execution method? Parliament under Henry VIII passed the ‘Acte for Poysoning’ out of disgust at one particular incident, declaring poisoning treason and meting out boiling as the punishment.

This first section also establishes how accustomed to executions Londoners were. There were even sets of playing cards depicting them. When we get to the next section of the exhibition, you can see why. There were just so many execution sites in London. Some locations have retained a memory of this usage (like the Tower of London or the ‘Tyburn tree‘ which stood near Marble Arch) while others have erased it (like Smithfield, for instance). In this part of the exhibition there are primary materials illustrating different execution sites, as well as a video which shows how widespread they were. There’s also a deep dive into perhaps the most famous execution in London, that of Charles I in 1649. As well as illustrations and accounts of his execution, there are relics and a painting that show how this unprecedented act turned the king into a martyr in some eyes.

Making Sense Of The Past

As we continue to move through the exhibition, there are smaller thematic groupings. We learn about the process of being sentenced to death (and acquitted most of the time). There’s a bit about prison conditions and prison reform. There is a recreation of the Tyburn tree. We explore the business of executions, and the uses to which dead bodies were put. And finally we see the end of public executions and eventually the death penalty itself (in the UK).

What struck me about Executions is how hard the curatorial team have worked to help us understand not just facts about the past, but mindsets. It shocks our modern sensibilities to think of an execution as entertainment, but it was once so. By clearly establishing why these punishments were handed out and how ubiquitous executions were, we start to gain insights into contemporary viewpoints. Understanding which executions did shock Londoners is also a valuable source of information. As are petitions and final letters which tell us about those sentenced to death and their families.

One choice stood out to me as a little unexpected, with the potential to create distance between Londoners past and present rather than greater understanding. This was in the room with the recreated Tyburn tree. It features edited speeches from three condemned prisoners, as well as an execution ballad. The speeches are read in accents supposedly representative of 17th Century London. It’s jarring to modern ears, and risks taking you away from what’s actually being said to focusing on the accent itself. Perhaps the idea was to remind us that London in the past was a different world, not what we’ve seen in films? This is one small thought on one aspect of the exhibition, however, and I’m sure there are others who think the opposite and appreciate the historic accuracy!

Final Thoughts On Executions

One thing I noticed, and which tells you how often I come to some museums, was the use of space for Executions. I’ve written before about the Museum of London Docklands’ exhibition space being essentially one big room. Well you wouldn’t know it this time! The space has been absolutely maximised to create a flow and sufficient wall space to tell the story. I spent a lot longer here this time than I have on previous visits. Clever and efficient exhibition design for sure.

I found Executions to be a sensitive, well-informed exhibition. Despite some gory details, the curatorial team never lose sight of the fact that executions involved actual people with stories of their own and families left behind. They achieve a good balance between presenting the facts of the past, without excusing them or applying contemporary morals onto them. A very good illustration of L. P. Hartley’s quote “The past is a foreign country.” I will think of this exhibition for a while as I navigate London streets, knowing that an execution site is always just around the corner.

It’s probably not the best exhibition for younger families, but appropriate for about twelve years and upwards. It’s on for a few more weeks so head on over to West India Quay if you would like to see it for yourself.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 3.5/5

Executions on until 16 April 2023