Scurrying around the First Port of Empire gallery Mr Monkey looked at a pair of paintings by Henry Nelson O'Neil, Eastward Ho! and Home Again, depicting troops departing to and coming back from the Indian Mutiny. The two paintings toured Britain and were seen by over 500,000 people. He also saw some 'Billies and Charlies', fake medieval artefacts made by William Smith and Charles Eaton, two labourers on the new docks at Shadwell, for sale to antiquarians. They were made in 1857, declared authentic in 1858 and exposed as fakes in 1860.
You can read about the paintings at the Museum of London website.
Return to Mr Monkey visits the Museum in Docklands
Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey.