Insurance Museum launches final gallery for fire exhibition

The Insurance Museum has launched the final gallery for its online Fire, Risks and Revelations exhibition.

The gallery, which went live today (25 October 2023), looks at 250 years of insurance fire brigades and the impact James Braidwood and the London Fire Engine Establishment (LFEE) had on the history of firefighting.

The story, which continues up until the brigades were handed over to municipal control, will also explore responses to economic and global change, including the emergence of professional bodies.

And the launch of the new gallery means the Fire, Risks and Revelations exhibition has four galleries that each share the history of fire insurance.

‘Only the beginning’

Now this exhibition has been completed, the museum is hoping to produce further online exhibitions to share more stories from across the sector, including about marine, art, motor, aerospace, climate change, life and pensions, cyber and artificial intelligence (AI).

Howard Benge, director of the Insurance Museum, said: “It is wonderful that we now have all four galleries telling the story of fire insurance, stretching from the creation of Nicholas Barbon’s innovative fire insurance company, to the handing over of the fire brigades to municipal organisations 250 years later.

“This is only the beginning for the Insurance Museum, as we fundraise to produce more online exhibitions, schools’ resources and a physical museum in the heart of London’s insurance district.”

The latest gallery has been sponsored by Velonetic, the joint venture between DXC Technology, the International Underwriting Association (IUA) and Lloyd’s of London.

Chris Halbard, chief executive of Velonetic, said his firm was “delighted to sponsor the Insurance Museum”.

“We encourage you to visit and share the online exhibition – through learning from the past, seeing how we have got to today, we hope that this will ignite creativity and innovation in an evolving and dynamic industry,” he added.