The Bow Street Museum, formerly known as the Bow Street Police Museum, recently underwent a name change to the Bow Street Museum of Crime and Justice. This decision was influenced by visitor feedback and aims to broaden the museum's appeal, engaging a wider audience. Museum Director Simon Tansley explained that the new name reflects the diverse narratives surrounding Bow Street's iconic Magistrate's Court and its historical context in crime and justice, emphasizing the importance of sharing stories of those affected by the legal system throughout the centuries.
The reason for this change is to better reflect the breadth and depth of the stories we have to tell. Bow Street's iconic Magistrate's Court, and the cases it heard, are as famous as the Bow Street Runners, the first organised police force, and whilst the history of policing and the original police cells in this historic building, will remain prominent in our storytelling, we feel it is equally important to look at the history of those with lived experiences of crime and justice, famous or not, who passed through the legal system here on Bow Street over the last 300 years.
As a small independent museum, which relies on donations and incomefrom visitors, we have to remain agile, listen to our visitors, and ensure the stories we tell not only reflect the significant social history of crime and justice on Bow Street, but that those stories are relevant and speak to today's audiences too. This next step in our evolution will make the Museum more resilient and help to ensure that we can continue to protect this important part of all of our shared history.
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