Imperial War Museum London
The Imperial War Museum serves as a national museum for Britain. Its main location is in London, complemented by five additional branches across England. Established in 1917 as the Imperial War Museum, its original purpose was to document the civil and military efforts and sacrifices made by the United Kingdom and its Empire during the First World War. Over time, the museum’s scope has broadened to encompass all conflicts involving British or Commonwealth forces since 1914. As of 2012, the museum’s mission is to provide and encourage the study and understanding of the history of modern warfare as well as the “wartime experience”. The IWM as it is now known has its headquarters and primary site is located at Southwark in Central London. The museum is funded by government grants, charitable donations and revenue generated through commercial activity such as retailing, licensing and publishing. General admission is free to IWM London.
I last went to the IWM London circa 2001/2. Prior to then I had been during the seventies as a child. I remember the main atrium being filled with aircraft, tanks and such like, then there being side galleries filled with displays. This was very much done in the idiom of museum curation of the time, with there being copious amounts of text beside each items, painstakingly cataloguing its history. The IWM London in 2026, which I visited today, has moved with the times and now leans heavily into interactive displays and has a great deal of data presented audio visually. Personal stories and events told from the perspective of those who were there are a mainstay of the museum. There are also several displays that strive to create an ambient atmosphere, to try and give visitors an impression of how things may have been for those who were there in the trenches in France during World War I or in London during the Blitz in 1940. It is all quite immersive and although there is still much to read, it is a far cry from old school approach.
The First World War Galleries are a particularly good example of this modern approach to museum curation. It presents visitors with information about the causes of the war, the sociopolitical background in the UK at the time and then quickly immerses you in a trench warfare experience. Not only do you see the usual hardware and uniforms associated with the era but you see the conditions that troops lived in, learned of their diet and the psychological trauma of waiting for combat. Personal letters or histories of specific individuals personalise the experience and make it very accessible. The Second World War Galleries take a similar approach but it is far harder to distil the wealth of information arising from that conflict as succinctly as it predecessor. Hence some aspects of WWII are not explored in such depth as some may like. Again the human face of war is well represented and the museum showcases that this was a global conflict fought by people from multiple countries. The Commonwealth is very well represented.
Beyond the two world wars, IWM London tackles some other important aspects associated with warfare from the 1950s onwards. It focuses upon maintaining peace and security in the nuclear age and explores events in Serbia, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. There is a very interesting display about war correspondents and how war is covered in the media. There is also a Holocaust gallery which explores the subject through over 2,000 photos, books, artworks, letters and personal objects ranging from jewellery and clothing to toys and musical instruments. There is also a current exhibition of war themed art which is particularly powerful and thought provoking. The main atrium is still home to some impressive hardware such as a V2 and a T-34 tank. Overhead a Spitfire and a Harrier are suspended from the ceiling and dominate the main entrance. Furthermore, the two iconic 15-inch naval guns still remain outside the main building, facing across the grounds.
During today’s visit I was struck by the international diversity of the other visitors and pleased to see how many of them were young. The IWM London certainly doesn’t take a triumphalist tone in its curation and I feel that it achieves a good balance between depicting the horrors and political failures of war and telling stories of heroism and bravery. No doubt there may be complaints from the traditionalists but the IWM nationally has to consider the perspective of modern audiences. The museum is excellent value for money as entry is free but buying a guide book or other merchandise generates revenue equivalent to a ticket. There are multiple points throughout the museum where you can make a donation using your debit card. There are also some good pubs in the immediate area for those who wish to sit and reflect upon what they have seen, because the museum as it currently stands provides a great deal to think about.
