The Lost Property Office
15,615 mobile phones, 5,636 sets of keys, and 6,265 pairs of glasses handed into TfL's Lost Property Office (LPO) - and that's just 1 year's worth!
Illustration of the principal elevation of Chalfont Court (1935-06-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Chiltern Court
The LPO originally occupied part of the ground floor of Chiltern Court, a block of 180 private apartments, designed by Charles W. Clark, and built by the Metropolitan Railway
Tap to explore
Chiltern Court stands above Baker Street Underground station
Now housed in West Ham bus garage, for over 85yrs the LPO was based in this complex
Novelists Arnold Bennett and H G Wells were among Chiltern Court's early residents
The LPO opened its doors in 1933 and handles all lost items found on the transport network and handed in by either staff or the public. 114,858 items were processed at the LPO in 2020-2021 alone.
What fascinates people most about the LPO is the volume and nature of items handed in. The Corporate Archives collections enable us to highlight some of these and also chart trends in property ownership and the emergence of new technologies.
Join us as we take you through some of the more unusual items and unknown stories....
Toy Replacement Service
“I regret I can find no trace of the property being handed in...Please find enclosed Teddy Bear who has been lost for some considerable time and is seeking a new home. Perhaps he will make up a little for your daughter’s loss”
The Lost Umph
"...I have searched high and low for my lost 'umph' but cannot find it anywhere and I have begun to wonder if I lost it when travelling on the underground earlier this year. If it has turned up in your lost property office I would be grateful to have it back again!"
Lost a Rabbit (1931-12-05)TfL Corporate Archives
Lost! A Rabbit
"Was it coincidence that a cabbage was found on the Central London Railway on the same day?"
The day they found a Tapir on the tube (1966-04-01)TfL Corporate Archives
They Day they Found a Tapir on the Tube
" How he got aboard an Underground train was something of a mystery at first. But it was later discovered that his name was Horace..."
Paradise Lost
"One Swiss couple lost 10,000 euros in the back of a taxi. Another cab driver handed in a bag of diamonds left by a jeweller"
You name it they've found it (1995-03-23)TfL Corporate Archives
You Name It - They've Lost It
"Last Wednesday afternoon I had the misfortune to lose my underpants on the Piccadilly Line. They were last seen in the hands of a well-meaning lady at Alperton Station on a train bound for Rayners Lane."
List of lost property items (1900-06-01)TfL Corporate Archives
List of Lost Property Found at Chalfont Road Station, 1900
Entries include a basket of fish and a fox terrier dog
List of lost property items (1900-06-01)TfL Corporate Archives
List of Lost Property Found at Chalfont Road Station, 1900
Entries include a roll of theatre posters and a bag of cartidges
Numbers of Umbrellas at the LPO over a 5 year period
A note attributes a fall in lost umbrellas to a spell of hot weather
Lost Property Labels
Every item processed by the LPO is given a unique identifying label, like this one from 1957
Sharing the festive cheer (2016-12-08)TfL Corporate Archives
Sharing the Festive Cheer
Every year, the LPO gives hundreds of unclaimed children's toys to Christmas Present Appeals
Lost property gets gift wrapped (2017-12-07)TfL Corporate Archives
Lost Property Gets Gift Wrapped
Letter seeking the Maharaj Man Singhji of Idar's lost binoculars (1935-06-05)TfL Corporate Archives
Maharaj Loses Binoculours
For a more in depth peek at how the LPO runs, watch this London Transport Museum video from 2002. (5mins).
Story compiled by TfL using information in records at the Transport for London Corporate Archives. The Corporate Archives seeks to preserve and make accessible records, not to interpret them. A wider range of material is available for physical consultation.
Permission is granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only.
This story has been enhanced using images from the collections of the LIFE Photo Collection and The J. Paul Getty Museum. All enquiries regarding this material should be made directly to those institutions.
