Lockdown prompts Museum of London's nostalgic look at recent past

Tomb Raider III was released in 1998 and saw Lara Croft dart around a stylised London

The Museum of London is delving into some of its rarely-seen archives for a nostalgic glimpse into the capital's recent past.

The institution began its Now That's What I Call Nostalgia series after seeing people share photos of happier times as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

Items from the 1980s to the 2000s, including flyers for raves and computer games, are being posted on its Instagram channel.

The museum said it hoped the series brings back "fond and humorous memories".

Objects to be featured include different styles of footwear from the period, an Apple computer from 1983 and an empty bottle of the infamous "alcopop" Hooch.

When they were introduced in the 1990s, "alcopops" such as Hooch led to accusations they were encouraging underage drinking

This box was issued for the Doctor Who 30th anniversary in 1993 and contained two videos and a book on the history of the Daleks

Nightclub the Astoria used to be on Charing Cross Road but was demolished to make way for Crossrail

This 1983 Apple 11e microcomputer was originally used by news agency Reuters which then passed it on to a software company in Islington

Fashion designer Patrick Cox began making his "Wannabe" leather shoes in 1993

Various flyers from events such as this one held at the Hippodrome in 1991 will feature in the series

Zeynep Kussan, the Museum of London's new museum project assistant, said staff had delved into the "extensive collection" to pick out items "that we felt many would be surprised to see were already 'history'".

"As most of these objects are not on display in our galleries, sharing them on our Instagram channel over the next couple of months is a great opportunity to share more of our collection with visitors from all over the world," she said.

You can follow the Now That's What I Call Nostalgia series on the Museum of London's Instagram page.