Holloway Prison has been an important landmark in Islington for over 150 years. Thousands of women passed through its doors until it closed in 2016. This exhibition explores their stories.

Well-known prisoners have been held at the prison, but there are many voices which remain unknown and unrecorded. This exhibition at Islington Museum explores stories of this highly significant place.

Highlights of the exhibition include a prison door from the original Holloway ‘Castle’, when it was a ‘terror to evil doers’, a suffragette hunger-strike medal, a prison bed from the modern prison and a banner made by Sisters Uncut who occupied part of the prison following its closure.

The exhibition also explores what may happen next on the site –and asks visitors to think what kind of legacy there should be to follow a place with such depth of history.

About the project 

This project, run by Islington Heritage, in collaboration with Holloway Prison Stories and Middlesex University, seeks to capture stories of this highly significant place meaning that, even when it has gone, the voices and echoes of Holloway Prison will remain.

Check out their comprehensive events schedule as part of the project here.

Open Monday – Saturday 10am-5pm (closed Wednesday and Sunday)