2008 HIGHLIGHTS AT THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM LONDON, THE CHURCHILL MUSEUM AND CABINET WAR ROOMS,HMS BELFAST, IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM DUXFORD, IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM NORTH
“2008 is a significant year for the Imperial War Museum as it marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War with a series of exhibitions and events to commemorate the experiences of those who lived, fought and died in the ‘war to end all wars’. The anniversary is also an important milestone in the Imperial War Museum’s own history as it was founded during the First World War as ‘a lasting memorial of common effort and common sacrifice’ to those who played their part in the conflict in which over 700,000 British servicemen lost their lives.
Alongside the commemorative activities the Museum’s branches continue to offer a diverse range of special exhibitions, displays and events throughout 2008 reflecting the breadth and depth of the Museum’s remit which has evolved to cover all aspects of people’s experience of conflict involving Britain and the Commonwealth from1914 to the present day.”
Sir Robert Crawford, Director-General Imperial War Museum
EXHIBITIONS
CONTACT: George Rodger’s war photographs
Imperial War Museum North, 9 February – 27 April 2008
To celebrate the centenary of George Rodger’s birth, Imperial War Museum North presents a major photographic exhibition of the life and wartime work of this extraordinary photographer.
George Rodger (1908 – 1995) was a largely self-taught and uniquely gifted photographer and pioneering photojournalist who never lost his concern and sympathy for the victims of conflict. As a photographer for Life Magazine during the Second World War, George Rodger travelled to most major war zones, photographing what he saw for a distant audience in America. Contact reveals how the challenges and changing nature of photojournalism in wartime shaped George Rodger’s work and experience. It also examines his lasting legacy both as a photographer and as co-founder, together with Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa and David (Chim) Seymour, of the legendary Magnum photographic cooperative agency 60 years ago.
For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond
Imperial War Museum London, 17 April 2008 – 1 March 2009
To celebrate the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth, Imperial War Museum London will open For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond, the first major exhibition devoted to the man who created the world’s most famous secret agent, James Bond.
Featuring fascinating material, much on public display for the first time, the exhibition will look at the author and his fictional character in historical context and examine how far the Bond novels were based on real people and events. The exhibition will explore the early life of Ian Fleming, his wartime career and work as a journalist and travel writer and how, as an author, how he drew upon his own experiences to create the iconic character of James Bond.
On display will be rare material including a map of the Mercury News Network established by Ian Fleming in the 1950s showing where all Sunday Times foreign correspondents were based; notes for the Thrilling Cities series; research notes for From Russia With Love written in Istanbul and a selection of annotated Bond manuscripts It will include exhibits from Bond films such as the blood-splattered’ shirt worn by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale displayed for the first time along with prototypes of Rosa Klebb’s flick knife shoes in From Russia with Love; Halle Berry’s bikini from Die Another Day and Goldfinger’s golf shoes loaned by EON Productions.
Horrible Histories: The Frightful First World War - The Exhibition
Imperial War Museum North, 24 May 2008 – January 2009
A partnership between Imperial War Museum North, Terry Deary and Scholastic Children's Books
This major exhibition, based on one of the most popular books in the Horrible Histories series (The Frightful First World War published by Scholastic Children’s Books), is specially designed for younger visitors and commemorates the 90th Anniversary of the end of the First World War.
‘Of all the history in the world’, says Horrible Histories author Terry Deary, ‘the story of the Great War is perhaps the most horrible. It is a story of what happens when machines go to war and human beings get in the way.’ The exhibition will feature Terry Deary’s words and artist Martin Brown’s illustrations alongside sounds, art, film, photographs and objects from Imperial War Museum’s unrivalled collections, to tell the tales of the key battles and landmarks of the First World War.
War to Windrush
Imperial War Museum London, 13 June 2008 - 29 March 2009
To mark the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush in Britain in 1948, this exhibition will tell the personal stories of Caribbean people in the First and Second World Wars.
Among the exhibits on display will be pages from the MV Empire Windrush passenger list; the RAF flying logbook of Cy Grant, a navigator in Bomber Command, who was shot down over The Netherlands during the Second World War and spent the rest of the war in German Prisoner of War camps; the MBE belonging to Sam King who returned to Britain on the Windrush after serving in the RAF and was later the first black mayor of Southwark and the telegram announcing the death of Walter Tull, the first black British Army Officer.
Holocaust Art (working title)
Imperial War Museum London, September 2008 - July 2009
This exhibition will explore the Museum’s collection of Holocaust-related art which encompasses both eye-witness accounts of liberated Belsen by such artists as Leslie Cole and Doris Zinkeisen and art created by anonymous artists in concentration camps. Holocaust survivor's reflections on their personal experiences, especially the works of Roman Halter and Edith Birkin, will be shown alongside arresting works by contemporary artists Paul Ryan and Darren Almond. The exhibition will be accompanied by an extensive learning programme and website material.
In Memoriam: Remembering the Great War
Imperial War Museum London, September 2008 – March 2009
This major exhibition will commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armistice.
The exhibition will focus on the individual experiences of men, women and children: the front line soldier, sailor and airman; the munitions worker and the nurse; the prisoner-of-war and the internee; the artist and the writer; the disabled and the shell shocked; the widow and the orphan. Their stories will be told through personal objects ranging from a bierstein which was presented to the British captain of a winning football team in the Christmas Truce of 1914 to a rosebud from a wreath which lay on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior in 1920.
DISPLAYS
Churchill and the Press
Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, February 2008 – May 08
Aristocrat, war correspondent, politician, celebrity, Winston Churchill was all of these things and more. In a time before mass media, Churchill developed a unique relationship with the press that is still reflected in the way that politicians operate to this day. Original newspapers from throughout Churchill’s life from the John Frost newspaper collection will demonstrate the unprecedented way in which he used the power of the media to influence and persuade others to achieve his aims and ideals was unprecedented.
Fathers, Brothers, Sons: Photographs by Seamus Murphy
Imperial War Museum North, 15 March – 6 July 2008
Seamus Murphy has received six World Press Photo awards and won widespread acclaim for his work in Afghanistan and the Middle East. This small but powerful display featuring many images on public display for the first time illustrates the moving story of the Ba Deli family of Kabul's Old City in Afghanistan as they live their lives through civil war, the Taliban regime, the arrival of Coalition Forces and subsequent attempts to build a stable democracy.
Dig for Victory: The War on Waste
St James’s Park and Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, May – October 2008
The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, in partnership with the Royal Parks, will reprise the popular allotment project which features a Second World War allotment celebrating the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign of the 1940s and a contrasting modern-day allotment. Local communities and schools will tend the allotments and learn about gardening, healthy eating, history and food science. This year’s accompanying display, The War on Waste, focuses on the themes of salvage and recycling, which are increasingly relevant to our modern way of life.
Military Pride
Imperial War Museum North, 12 July – 12 October 2008
This small but compelling display reveals via portrait photography and personal testimony the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people within the context of conflict, war and military service. Military Pride will also detail historical context and a timeline of post 1945 legislature and policies within the Armed Forces. Military Pride is timed to connect with the Manchester Pride Festival.
The Last Post: Remembering the First World War
Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, October 2008 – January 2009
This display and programme of events at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms will focus on the theme of the First World War, looking at particular at wartime correspondence and the important role played by Royal Mail during the war. The activities at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms accompany a Heritage Lottery Fund project run by the British Postal Museum and Archive to produce two education packs and associated outreach sessions.
Stranger In The House
Imperial War Museum North, November 2008 – February 2009
What happens when a soldier returns home to his family, after years away? Told from the women's perspective, this small display brings together personal stories from new research and existing unpublished testimony, revealing the moving experiences of families readjusting to life after husbands, fathers and sons return home. An accompanying book, by curator and writer Julie Summers, is published by Simon & Schuster in September 2008.
SPECIAL EVENTS
70th Anniversary of Launch of HMS Belfast
HMS BELFAST, 15 March 2008
To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the launch of HMS Belfast, which took place at Harland and Wolff's shipyard on 17 March 1938, a series of events organised by veterans of the HMS Belfast Association will be held onboard the ship. The main focus of the day will be the re-dedication of the newly restored Ship's Silver Bell, originally presented to the Ship by the people of Belfast.
Spring Air Show
Imperial War Museum Duxford, Sunday 18 May 2008
The first major UK air show in 2008. Highlights include classic warbirds such as the Spitfire and modern jets in an extravaganza of speed, nostalgia and excitement.
Remembering RAF Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford, Sunday 1 June 2008
To mark Imperial War Museum Duxford’s 90th birthday in 2008, a series of fascinating talks and activities will explore the history of the airfield from its early days in the closing stages of the First World War through to its role today as Europe’s premier aviation museum.
Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift
Imperial War Museum Duxford, Saturday 21 June 2008
Veterans who participated in the Berlin Airlift will share their memories of this momentous event in history during a day of interaction and talks. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see five of the aircraft types involved in the airlift held at Imperial War Museum Duxford.
Flying Legends Air Show
Imperial War Museum Duxford, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July 2008
An unmissable feast of historic propeller-driven aircraft come together for Flying Legends, a spectacular two-day show featuring some of the most rare and classic aircraft in the world, the very best display pilots and legendary veterans.
Duxford 2008 Air Show
Imperial War Museum Duxford, Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September 2008
Continuing to mark Imperial War Museum Duxford’s 90th anniversary year, this dazzling air show display with over three hours of non-stop flying features air show classics such as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, fast jets and the immortal Spitfire.
Autumn Air Show
Imperial War Museum Duxford, Sunday 18 October 2008
The last major air show in the UK for 2008, the Autumn Air Show features a vast collection of highly popular aircraft take to the skies for a stunning display.
For press information and images contact:
Imperial War Museum London
Laura McKechan, 020 7416 5311, lmckechan@iwm.org.uk
Victoria Main, 020 7416 5497, vmain@iwm.org.uk
Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms
John McPherson, 020 7766 0152, jmcpherson@iwm.org.uk
Victoria White, 020 7766 0155, vwhite@iwm.org.uk
Imperial War Museum North
Gemma Gibb, 0161 836 4041, ggibb@iwm.org.uk
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Tracey Woods, 01223 499320, twoods@iwm.org.uk
HMS Belfast
Janice Wilson 020 7940 6320 jwilson@iwm.org.uk
www.iwm.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
The national museum of the experiences of people who have lived, fought and died in conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth since 1914.
The Imperial War Museum is the museum of everyone’s story: the history of modern war and people’s experience of war and wartime life in Britain and the Commonwealth. It is an educational and historical institution responsible for archives, collections and sites of outstanding national importance.
The Museum’s five branches include the award-winning Imperial War Museum London; the Second World War cruiser HMS Belfast; the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, housed in Churchill’s secret headquarters below Whitehall; Imperial War Museum Duxford, a world renowned aviation and heritage complex, and Imperial War Museum North, one of the most talked-about new Museums in the UK.
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM LONDON
This London branch of the Imperial War Museum houses exhibits ranging from tanks and aircraft to photographs and personal letters; they include film and sound recordings, and some of the 20th century's best-known paintings. Visitors can explore six floors of exhibitions and displays, including a permanent exhibition dedicated to the holocaust and a changing programme of special temporary exhibitions.
Imperial War Museum London
Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ
10.00am-6.00pm
Enquiries 020 7416 5320/5321
Press contacts: Laura McKechan 020 7416 5311 lmckechan@iwm.org.uk
Victoria Main 020 7416 5497 vmain@iwm.org.uk
CHURCHILL MUSEUM and CABINET WAR ROOMS
The Cabinet War Rooms were the secret underground HQ used by Winston Churchill and his staff during the Second World War. The rooms now house the world’s first major museum recording and illustrating the life and achievements of Churchill through extensive original material and cutting edge computer technology.
Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms
Clive Steps, King Charles Street,
London, SW1A 2AQ
9.30am-6.00pm
Enquiries 020 7930 6961
Press contact: John McPherson 020 7766 0152 jmcpherson@iwm.org.uk
Victoria White 020 7766 0155 vwhite@iwm.org.uk
HMS BELFAST
Europe’s last surviving big-gun armoured warship from the Second World War. HMS Belfast was launched in 1938 and played a leading part in the Battle of North Cape and the Normandy landings. Today this huge and complex warship provides a unique insight into naval history and the harsh, dangerous conditions, which her crew endured.
HMS Belfast
Morgan’s Lane, Tooley Street,
London, SE1 2JH
10.00am-6.00pm, March-October
10.00am-5.00pm, November-February
Enquiries 020 7940 6300
Press contact Janice Wilson 020 7940 6320 jwilson@iwm.org.uk
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM DUXFORD
This historic heritage complex has a unique collection of some 200 aircraft including biplanes, Spitfires, Concorde and Gulf War jets. It is also home to the American Air Museum and one of the finest collections of tanks, military vehicles and artillery in Britain. Throughout the year visitors can experience a wonderful range of events from world-class Air Shows to Flying Proms.
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Cambridgeshire, CB2 4QR
10.00am-4.00pm, 30 October-18 March
10.00am-6.00pm, 19 March-29 October
Enquiries 01223 835 000
Press contact Tracey Woods 01223 499320 twoods@iwm.org.uk
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM NORTH
Opened to visitors on 5 July 2002, IWM North is one of the most talked-about new museums in the country. It is on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal in Trafford, in a spectacular award-winning building designed by Daniel Libeskind. Created to give northern audiences access to the national collections, IWM North focuses on how war shapes lives.
Imperial War Museum North
The Quays, Trafford Wharf Rd, Trafford
Park, Manchester, M17 1TZ
10.00am-6.00pm, March-October
10.00am-5.00pm, November-February
Enquiries 0161 836 4000
Press contact Gemma Gibb 0161 836 4041 ggibb@iwm.org.uk
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
The Imperial War Museum has an incomparable collection covering all aspects of twentieth and twenty-first century conflict involving Britain and the Commonwealth. The collections include works of art and posters, film and video, photographs, oral history recordings, objects ranging from aircraft to toy bears, a huge range of documents, maps, diaries and letters, and a national reference library.
www.iwm.org.uk
