The People's Story Museum

The People's Story Museum is located in the historic Canongate Tolbooth, and features collections that narrate the story of the working-class people of Edinburgh from the late 18th century to the present day.^[1][2] The museum achieves this through the use of oral history, reminiscence, and written sources.^[3]

The People's Story Museum

The museum is housed in the Canongate Tolbooth.
Established	1989
Location	Canongate Tolbooth, Royal Mile, Edinburgh
Coordinates	55.9515°N 3.1799°W / 55.9515; -3.1799
Website	Official website

Collections

One of the banners in the museum's collection.

The museum houses Britain's largest collection of early reform flags and banners, totaling 144 in all. These banners encompass various themes, including support for political reform, trade unions, and the anti-apartheid movement.^[4] Additionally, the museum features waxworks that vividly illustrate the written histories of the people of Edinburgh.

Galleries

Part of a waxwork display in the museum.

A banner on display in the museum, part of its 144-strong collection.

Sign outside the People's Story Museum

There are three galleries and a film screening room in the museum.^{[citation needed]} The first gallery looks at life in tenement houses in the 18th century. The second gallery showcases numerous banners from the museum's collection and recounts the stories of Edinburgh citizens in the 20th century, through waxworks and written histories. The final galleries depict Edinburgh in the mid- to late-20th century.

The film in the screening room shows personal stories of four Edinburgh citizens who grew up in the city and worked in the printing and building trades, in a co-op store, and as a servant.^[5]