Overview
To mark the Battle of Britain 80th anniversary, IWM will be working with partners to proactively loan from its rich art collection for the first time.
Project Partners

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum in Bournemouth, Harris Museum & Art Gallery in Preston, The Collection in Lincoln and Touchstones Rochdale

With Art Fund support, three Battle of Britain artworks will be displayed at four distinctive venues, alongside unique works from our partners’ collections, each display exploring and illustrating a different, locally-relevant perspective on Second World War aviation, including women’s roles and technological advancements. From August the works will tour between Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum in Bournemouth, the Harris, Preston, The Collection, Lincoln and Touchstones Rochdale.

Each partnership display will be complemented by an associated events programme.

Sign up to IWM’s e-news and follow us on social media to find out when the first display will open.

Discover the Artworks

  • An Aerial Battle by Francis Dodd, 1940
    © IWM Art.IWM ART LD 485

    ‘An Aerial Battle’ by Francis Dodd

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  • Seated portrait of Squadron Leader G L Denholm in uniform wearing a flying jacket and a red and white striped cravat.
    © IWM Art.IWM ART LD 783

    ‘Squadron Leader G L Denholm, DFC’ by Thomas Cantrell Dugdale

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  • Surreal image of a skeletal mammoth with military aircraft wings and ships' rigging
    Art.IWM ART 17748

    ‘Untitled’ by Eileen Agar

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