The Small, The Quirky

We love things – especially if they are in massive collections. This collection of unique museums around London offer you the joy of being immersed among items as they have changed throughout history, from fans, to comics, to even your favourite candy bar’s wrapping throughout the years.

The Fan Museum

Going here offers you an experience that is unique within the entire United Kingdom and it’s specialty is, you guessed it: fans. This is the only museum around anywhere that has devoted itself to fans and the art of fan making. These fans are an art in and of themselves, and the collection of them, spanning from the 12th century onwards, will leave you with a little piece of evolving beauty throughout the ages. Located within a Grade II listed townhouse, this museum also offers one of the best valued afternoon teas in London in its garden room that is only available to its guests

The Comedy Museum

The Comedy Museum is a gem for all lovers of funny. It was founded on April Fool’s Day (very fitting) by Martin Witts, a Leicester Square Theatre director. It houses over 6000 artefacts and prints of the United Kingdom’s comedians, and is, as you could probably guess, one of the most comprehensive collections of Comedy memorabilia. Here you can see gems like Tommy Cooper’s handmade magic props, Bill Bailey’s 6-neck guitar, and even Charlie Chaplin’s cane. To sweeten the pot even further, there is also the Cooper Room, which is a performance space intended for all kinds of comedic talent in whatever format. Though it’s located in central London, it’s easy to miss – it’s located in the crypt below St George’s Church in Bloomsbury. Be sure to check it out!

Pollock's Toy Museum

The third museum of things on our tour of eccentricities is Pollock’s Toy Museum. Like many others in this list, this museum’s initial collection was amassed by the founders. Initially a shop and printer’s in Hoxton, this family-run affair has since been redesigned by Marguerite Fawdy in the mid-twentieth century and relocated to its home in Fitzrovia. Visit this independently-run museum (meaning they receive no government funding) and help keep this collection of children’s wonders alive for years to come. Go for their impressive collection of Victorian toys, and take a step into an intimate world of children’s toys.

The Cartoon Museum

This museum features over 5000, 4000 comics, and an impressive array of over 1700 original cartoons and prints. It exists only through the dedication of cartoonists and collectors who began by founding the Cartoon Art Trust in 1988. Between then and the museum’s opening in 2006 they hosted exhibitions throughout the UK. Their goal is to collect, promote, and preserve the best of British cartoon art. With a rotating display of over 250 exhibits, you’re always guaranteed to see something different. They also run educational workshops and, if you’re a researcher interested in the topic, you can even book an appointment to look at the entire collection first hand. Drop in, see the art, and maybe even talk to a cartoonist yourself, and learn something new about the art medium that is behind some of the biggest blockbusters of today.

Museum of Packaging and Advertising

Enter a time tunnel at the Museum of Packaging and Advertising, and witness how brands have evolved through the decades as we evolved with them. This museum began when Robert Opie, a compulsive collector, saved the candy wrapper for a packet of Munchies. Since then, and over forty years later, Opie has amassed over 12,000 original items and The Museum of Packaging and Advertising now sees over 40,000 visitors a year. The secret to its charm is our emotional attachments we give on the products we use in our lives. Packaging may change, but products rarely do – and this museum offers you the chance to see the evolution of your favourite brands from the Victorian era to now.