UCL Press publishes two major histories to mark UCL’s Bicentenary
Posted on 11th February, 2026
UCL Press is proud to announce the publication of two significant new open access books to celebrate UCL’s 200th anniversary. Together, they offer fresh insights into the people, places and stories that have shaped the university since 1826.
Student London: A New History of Higher Education in the Capital
Student London is a 200‑year history of student life in London, exploring diverse experiences, culture and activism through rich archival sources.
Students have formed a significant part of London’s population since the foundation of its first university in 1826, and Student London centres their experiences in the city’s history. The book draws on an unusually rich set of sources that include institutional records, college magazines, court reports, secret service files, memoirs and oral histories. Together, these accounts capture life at the original London University, known as UCL since 1836, as well as many other institutions that later became part of it.
The authors explore a wide range of higher education experiences across medical schools, teacher training colleges and specialist institutes. They consider everyday life, funding and student welfare, and follow students into recreation, sports and leisure. The book also reflects on shifting attitudes to class, race, gender, sex and sexuality, and offers a deeper engagement with London’s imperial history than earlier studies of higher education.
Read and download it free from https://uclpress.co.uk/book/student-london/
University College London: The Bloomsbury Campus
University College London: The Bloomsbury Campus is first comprehensive account of UCL’s architectural history and the evolution of its iconic London Bloomsbury campus over the past 200 years, and the first of the iconic Survey of London series to be published in open access by UCL Press.
Since the construction of its iconic neoclassical building in Gower Street, UCL has been an increasingly influential presence in the capital’s Bloomsbury district, shaping the character of its built environment and acting as a magnet for other academic institutions. Over two hundred years UCL has expanded to form an extensive campus, its sprawling footprint and varied building stock reflecting growth in student numbers and advances in education, technology and culture.
Survey of London is a renowned series of volumes running from the 1890s to document the buildings of London. Having been part of UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture since 2013, it is uniquely placed to offer the first comprehensive account of the university’s buildings and the evolution of its historic Bloomsbury campus.
This Survey of London monograph provides a new understanding of this significant estate in central London, bringing to light a complex and engaging architectural story with many facets that have been previously overlooked or neglected.
Read and download it free: https://uclpress.co.uk/book/university-college-london/
Together, the books provide new perspectives on UCL’s past and form a key part of the university’s Bicentenary programme.