LONDON.- The 1297 Magna Carta spearheads the launch of the new City of London Heritage Gallery, which opened to the public on Friday 12 September. Admission is free to this permanent, purpose-built exhibition space which will showcase a rotating selection of rare, fascinating and sometimes surprising documents from the extensive archives of the City of London Corporation, at the heart of both London’s and the nation’s political and social history for over 1,000 years.

Located at Guildhall Art Gallery and provided by the City of London Corporation, the Heritage Gallery will be open daily and looking ahead, will feature further gems, including Shakespeare’s purchase deed for a house in Blackfriars (1613) which carries his signature - one of only six known examples in the world. The Gallery will also look at the contribution made by London’s diverse communities, such as the Irish dockworkers and the arrival of African-Caribbean immigrants in the late 1940s, providing a ‘house of history’ for London past, present and the future.

As part of the City of London Corporation’s contribution to the international celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, visitors to the Heritage Gallery will have the unique opportunity to see the finest surviving 13th century version in existence. Featuring what could be described as the world’s first ‘Post-It’ note - a superimposed memorandum which reads ‘Make it happen’ - this historic document reflects the central role of the City of London in implementing the charter. Furthermore, London is the only city specifically to be named – ‘the City of London shall have all its ancient liberties by land as well as by water’.

To tie in with the centenary of the beginning of World War One, the exhibition includes also a poster for a recruitment meeting held at Guildhall in 1914, the first of many to take place throughout the country following the outbreak of war, at which the Lord Mayor proposed a resolution to support the national’s call to arms.

There is also an intriguing insight into how London changed in the first few months of the war, seen in the Minutes of the London County Council’s Emergency Committee. Food prices rose sharply, as did unemployment with the rapid decline of trades such as tailoring and the manufacture of fine goods and, curiously, excessive drunkenness amongst women across the capital was reported.

Other exhibits on display include the medieval Cartae Antiquae. An essential reference tool for medieval City of London officials, this volume contains transcripts of charters and statutes covering laws enacted from 1327 to 1425, including in the reign of Richard III, whose remains were discovered in Leicester in 2013.

The City of London Corporation also owns a set of paintings of all 25 City Aldermen who were in post in the mid-fifteenth century. These heraldic portraits show the dignity and standing of the office holders and give a fascinating glimpse of the men who governed the medieval City.

Vivienne Littlechild, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, said: “Situated at the heart of Guildhall Art Gallery, the City of London Heritage Gallery will provide a unique place for some of the City’s most valuable archives and remind people of the City of London Corporation’s proud role as steward of these items on behalf of London and the nation. I am sure that the Heritage Gallery will prove hugely popular with visitors, in particular, City workers, residents and school groups, who want to learn more about the archives, in particular, Magna Carta, which celebrates its 800th anniversary next year, and the City of London Corporation’s unique history.”