Mind the Medal! Using Small Objects to Tell Big London Transport Stories

Lecture by Henry Flynn, Curator, London Transport Museum

The Goldsmiths’ Centre, London EC1M 5AD

10 November 2025 · 6:00PM – 8:00PM

This event is held at The Goldsmiths’ Centre in collaboration with the British Art Medal Society (BAMS) and is supported by the Goldsmiths’ Centre. BAMS, a registered charity, was founded in 1982 to promote the art of the medal through commissions, exhibitions, publications and events.

IMPORTANT

Bams members wishing to attend the lecture must contact Janet Larkin directly to book a free ticket for the limited spaces available by emailing

[email protected]

There are limited spaces available. The security arrangements at The Goldsmiths’ Centre will only admit attendees if their name is on their list. Members of the public can also attend but only by purchasing a ticket in advance through the Goldsmiths Centre website. Tickets for this event will also be available for sale via the Goldsmiths’ Centre website in due course

The Lecture

London Transport Museum tells the story of London’s transport history from 1800 to the present day. Located in the heart of the Covent Garden Piazza, and with its Museum Depot in Acton, its diverse collection contains vehicles, both road and rail, posters and associated artwork, tickets, maps and timetables, models, toys, uniforms and more.

Like most UK museums, LTM’s collection also includes medals. These medals, though small, can be used to illustrate significant moments in the development of public transport in London, as well as the personal stories of employees of TfL and its predecessor companies. Many of them are integral to LTM’s permanent displays. They help to show the technological innovation used to improve London’s transport network during a time of sudden population increase. They show the vital role London Transport, its staff and vehicles played during both world wars. They give an insight into how TfL responds to major incidents and reveal how transport employees spent their leisure time in days gone by. They commemorate significant events, anniversaries and additions or extensions to the network.

In this talk, Curator Henry Flynn will give a general introduction to London Transport Museum, before examining some medals and other numismatic objects in more detail. Using key examples, representing different themes and periods of history, and linking in with LTM’s wider collection, he will show how these small, beautifully designed objects can tell big transport stories.

Lecture given by Henry Flynn, Curator, London Transport Museum

Henry Flynn has a background in Classics and Ancient History, and his museum career began at National Museums Liverpool before he moved to London to work at the British Museum. He spent most of his time there in the Department of Coins and Medals, first as an Assistant Collection Manager, and later as Project Curator for the Money and Medals Network. He worked on the Blythe House Decant Project as Project Curator: Collections Documentation, with responsibility for the Museum’s historically significant collection of plaster casts, replicas and models. He left the BM to work at London Transport Museum, initially as Senior Curator for Collections Management and now as Curator (Projects). At LTM he explores London’s transport history through documentation and spends a surprising amount of time working with decommissioned TfL signage.

Image: Thames Tunnel medal, © TfL from the London Transport Museum collection (2009/7000)