From terrible crimes to gruesome legends, London has long been the backdrop to horrifying tales which quickly take root in popular imagination. Enter our London Gothic gallery to explore dreadful crimes and brutal punishments, from witch trials and alleged hauntings to the spectacle of public execution at Tyburn (the west end of Oxford Street today).

Uncovering the 'gothic' in many guises this gallery digs into the darkest corners of the collections to present prints and photographs which record both fact and fiction.

This gallery was inspired by London Gothic, a 2014 exhibition at London Metropolitan Archives and presents some of our finest historical images of the darker side of life in London. To discover more photographs and prints, try searching or use the London Picture Map to focus on a location.