London Photo Gallery - Brent Museum

Brent is located in London's northwestern area. Located on the 2nd floor of The Library at Willesden Green, this small community museum has over 10,000 objects in its collection showcasing life in the area over time, with a focus on its more recent history from 1850 onwards. The exhibition begins with much more historical items. The first evidence of people settling in Brent is believed to be around 4000 years ago during the Bronze Age. There are also artifacts from the Iron Age, Roman times, and more. Let's take a home at a Victorian home's interior. At the time, many families had paintings and souvenirs of the monarch. Before vacuum cleaners were invented, people used carpet beaters instead, candles and gas lamps lit up the railway cottages, and clothes were fixed using sewing machines. With no central heating, people kept warm with hot water bottles. George Barham's Express Dairies was a quality milk provider, transporting product from Brent to London. In the 1860s, most of London's cows died from disease and there were concerns the milk was dirty or watered down. His company used milk prams from the late 1800s to supply product locally, and on express trains to the city. In the early 19th century, Brent was a serene piece of countryside. When the railroads arrived in the 1830s, it spurred housing developments and rapid population growth. Industry grew with companies such as McVities and Price, Guinness, and Heinz building factories in the Park Royal, Wembley, and Cricklewood areas. By 1919, the Metropolitan Railway had extended the train line to the area. They sold homes near their new stations, believing housing development can be a long-term source of income as residents would need season tickets to take them into the city. Their 1915 publicity booklet referred the development as "Metro-land", with thousands of homes built during the 1920s and 30s. Industry and suburban living feature prominently in the exhibition. Metro-land residents bought the latest gadgets for their new homes, which were fitted with electricity and plumbing. These included kettles, toasters, and vacuum cleaners. Brent has also been part of a few historic sports events. Clay pigeon shooting took place near Wembley and the marathon passed through Brent in the 1908 Olympics. The 1948 games opened at Wembley Stadium.