Company History

Across our 700-year history, the Merchant Taylors’ Company has collected many treasures. Our Collection spans the 15th century to the present day, as we continue our long tradition of commissioning artists and craftsmen to adorn our Hall. The Company takes pride in preserving and protecting our collection of treasures, ensuring their appreciation for posterity. 

You can explore highlights of our digitised Collection here. 

In 2024, the Company commissioned City-based fine art cartographer, Adam Dant, to produce a mural depicting its 700-year history. Dant combines narrative moments of the Company's history with portraits of past and present Merchant Taylors, the Company's treasures, and tools associated with the craft of tailoring. Explore Dant's extraordinarily detailed work using the resource above. 

Adam Dant (b. 1967 -) studied at the Royal College of Art, London, and the MS University Faculty of Fine Arts Baroda, India. On his return to the UK from his appointment as Rome Scholar in Etching and Engraving, the artist created the 5-year pamphleteering art project ‘Donald Parsnips’ Daily Journal’. Dant became a household name known for his elaborate narrative drawings and cartographic surveys of city life, past, present, and future. He is proud to have been honoured as a “Regent of The College of Pataphysics”. Recent projects include his 2015 appointment as Parliament’s Official Artist of the 2015 General Election and exhibitions such as ‘The Budge Row Bibliotheque’ at Bloomberg SPACE gallery. His artworks are in major international collections including TATE, Arts Council, England, Deutsche Bank, King Charles III, MoMA, New York, and The Government Art Collection, UK. He is represented by the London art gallery and publisher, TAG Fine Arts.