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The Imperial War Museum is housed in what was once Bethleham
Hospital for the Insane, commonly known as Bedlam. When
the hospital was moved to Surrey in 1930 the huge building
was left vacant, its two wings were demolished and in 1936
Imperial War Museum moved into the converted central area.
The Imperial War Museum is not
just a display of modern warfare, some its best displays show
the social effects of 20th century wars on the people at home.
Along with the tanks, artillery,
planes, bombs and other weapons, there are displays on air
raid precautions, morale-boosting, censorship and food rationing.
Modern interactive displays give
visitors the chance to experience a simulated air raid and
the horror of trench warfare. Extracts from wartime
radio programmes, films and literature, together with photographs,
are all taken from the museum's archives. The building
houses the World's largest sound archive and the oldest film
archive, as well as over 6 million photographs, a collection
of maps and 30,000 international war posters.
On the second floor is one of
Britain's leading collections of 20th century art, including
paintings by Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland, and sculpture
by Jacob Epstein. Some of the most moving images are
the pictures drawn by Henry Moore during the Blitz, when Londoners
slept in underground stations to escape the nightly air raids.
Two floors house the Holocaust
Exhibition, the largest display of its kind outside Israel
and the USA. This very moving exhibition is built around
the testimonies of a selection of survivors. Film
footage, historical material and poignant personal belongings
accompany the tragic stories. The harrowing exhibition,
which takes at least an hour to look around, is not suitable
for children, an age limit of 13 is applied.
The museum keeps up to date with
recent military engagements involving British forces, including
the Gulf War of 1991. There are also films shows, lectures
and temporary exhibitions.
Admission free
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