Johnson Matthey buy a year of the capital's history in Museum of London's sale of the centuries

3 October 2007

Johnson Matthey Plc, has bought a year of London’s history to celebrate the year the company was founded.  It has made its purchase in an imaginative scheme set up by the Museum of London to raise funds for its £18 million redevelopment.

For £5,000, businesses can name a year of London’s history to celebrate their foundation, flotation or financial successes.  Over 300  years of the capital's history, from 1666, the year of the Great Fire, to 2012, the year of the Olympic games, are up for grabs and on sale now.

Johnson Matthey has bought 1817. It was on the 1st January of that year that Percival Norton Johnson founded his gold assaying business in London - the same day on which he married!  In 1822 he moved his business to number 79 Hatton Garden. George Matthey, following his apprenticeship to Johnson, became a partner in 1851 and the business was renamed Johnson & Matthey.

The business continued to grow as a world leading refiner and manufacturer of precious metal products and chemicals. Johnson Matthey carried out pioneering work in the refining and manufacturing of platinum and the other platinum group metals and played a key role in the development of their industrial applications.

Today Johnson Matthey is an international speciality chemicals company. While it now has its headquarters in Royston, Hertfordshire, its City Office and Registered Office is at 40-42 Hatton Garden, right opposite the site where Percival Norton Johnson established the business in 1822 and where Johnson Matthey continued to refine and manufacture precious metal products until the late 1950s.

Opening in 2009, the Capital City development will transform the lower floor of the Museum of London to tell the story of the city over the last 300 years through the lives of Londoners - those born in London, working here, or who have moved here - all who think of London as their city.

The new displays will contain more objects than ever, like Nelson's jewel encrusted sword, Suffragette banners and an Ozwald Boateng suit. The scheme will also see the development of a new Clore Learning Centre, providing flexible and inspiring spaces for learners of all ages, an e-learning suite, object handling areas, a theatre and a central Sackler Hall containing an information zone and coffee point.

Ian Godwin, Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Johnson Matthey says, “We are delighted to support the re-development of the Museum through our participation in the history timeline. Johnson Matthey has a long association with London and in particular with the jewellery district of Hatton Garden dating back the company’s foundation in 1817. Johnson Matthey is proud to mark its place in London’s history through this innovative new display at the Museum.”

Professor Jack Lohman, Director of the Museum of London says, ' We are delighted that Johnson Matthey are supporting the re-development of the Museum, helping us to literally  ‘make history’. The 70,000 schoolchildren who visit the Museum each year and the many City workers who drop in during their lunch breaks will find the Museum transformed with exciting new displays containing double the number of objects to intrigue them.

In 2009, people passing our distinctive roundabout will see the Lord Mayor’s coach on show in all its glory in a new gallery with a glass frontage looking out onto London Wall at street level.'

With its sale of years of London’s history the Museum hopes to raise the final £1 million needed to complete the project. The Heritage Lottery Fund has already pledged £11.5 million towards the project and the campaign has also attracted support from a variety of philanthropists, corporate contacts, trusts, foundations and individuals.

This unique campaign 'selling' twentieth century years offers the chance to mark memorable events within living memory, like the end of World War II, the Coronation, England's 1966 World Cup win, or family birthdays and anniversaries.

For more information see www.museumoflondon.org.uk/buyayear or call 020 7814 5592.

Press enquiries

Marian Williams
tel: 020 7814 5502
email: mwilliams@museumoflondon.org.uk

Notes for editors

• Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/, tel 0870  444 3851
• Admission is free.
• The redevelopment, which is the largest the Museum has seen since opening in 1976, will revitalize the galleries, with an innovative design by Wilkinson Eyre architects. The project includes a small expansion of floor space (5%), but will see an increase of 25% in display and learning areas, maximising the use made of public areas. The new galleries will open in autumn 2009 with significantly increased access to the Museum’s objects, both in the galleries and online, and will also include the new Clore Learning Centre, a theatre and The Sackler Hall containing an information zone and coffee point.
• The work started in March 2007 and will be completed in 2009. There are no plans to close the Museum during the refurbishment work: visitors will continue to be able to explore the city's earlier history, from prehistoric times, through the Roman and Medieval periods, to a special display on the Great Fire. A full programme of activities and events for all ages, bringing London's past and present to life, will continue.
• The Museum's redevelopment is being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund which has pledged £11.5 million towards the project.  The campaign has also attracted support from a variety of philanthropists, corporate contacts, trusts, foundations and individuals.  They include the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Fidelity Foundation, the Rayne Foundation, the Weston Foundation, the DCMS/Wolfson Foundation, the City of London Corporation, the London Development Agency, Lloyds of London, Johnson Matthey plc, Ashurst, the John Lewis Partnership and Royal Mail, BT and many additional generous anonymous supporters.
• The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our nation’s heritage for everyone to enjoy. HLF has supported more than 18,000 projects, allocating £3.5billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk. For more information, please call Katie Owen at the HLF press office on 020 7591 6036.