The history of insurance dates back thousands of years to China, where traders would organise goods between several boats to spread risk. The Great Fire of London in 1666 sparked off the creation of fire insurance companies in Britain. Insurance supported Eighteenth century innovators and entrepreneurs that led to the Industrial Revolution and at the same time, marine insurers supported traders who helped to establish the economic success of the United Kingdom.
Late twentieth century events include the Piper Alpha disaster and recovering damaged satellites from space.
This history helps us see how insurance works, whether that is enabling people to drive a car or developing innovative ideas into something real. The Insurance Museum will aim to tell these stories, but also explore future challenges, and deepen people’s knowledge and understanding.
As we gather support and raise funds to support the physical delivery of the Insurance Museum, we are also starting to develop digital tools to help share the story of insurance for all to enjoy. Our first exploration of this digital delivery is going to be focused on the story of fire insurance.
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Registered Charity address:
C/o Chartered Insurance Institute
3rd Floor, 20 Fenchurch Street,
London EC3M 3BY
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