I’ve been visiting the Imperial War Museum, Lambeth since the 70’s.
I guess I would have been 8 or so when I first visited. In those days the museum was just a series of open spaces with exhibits.
As a kid I loved the dioramas with soldiers wading ashore at Gallipoli or the destroyers attacking submarines with mines in a sea scape.
The exhibits were well placed and seemed to have an old fashioned appeal about them. I remember a full scale carriage with some sweatheart waving
good bye to a First World War soldier. The Swordfish. The Mossie.
In the 90’s the museum had a revamp. The roof was opened. The exhibits were shuffled around. I liked it. The museum took on a modern, open and light feel.
You worked your way to the top and saw the aircraft up in the air almost flying. It was very exciting.
So I was looking forward to visiting this week to see the recent revamp and reshuffle.
I think they have made a mistake. The new internal design is too dark, too claustrophobic, too imposing.
Large internal concrete pillars looming over you, blocking out the view and light.
It’s as if the building has taken precedence over the exhibits.
It seems as if a lot of the exhibits have been replaced with video and interactive elements. I like modern ideas but when you see a screen that says,
“This movie will replay in 50 minutes” I just haven’t got that much time to wait. The WW1 display is cramped and lacking that vintage, gruesome feel.
There’s no Army, Navy, Airforce movement through time aspect. The models are mostly gone.
Exhibits are poorly labeled or not labeled at all. Seemed to me to be a random collection of things. The smashed car, twisted girder are still a mystery.
A floor has been placed between the ground and ceiling. It cuts out all the light. When you work your way to the top it’s empty.
Just a grey floor. You can’t look off the edge.
Sorry but I just didn’t like it. I also noticed the stairs where gaffer taped as the non strip edging had come off. Not the quality of that shiney
floor they had before.
Just wondered what others who have visited feel about the museums new look.
By: 1batfastard - 22nd October 2014 at 18:23
Hi All,
hampden98,
Maybe it’s been done like that on purpose get them in then out in the shortest time possible ? Could be any number of reasons but I would think that like most things today it’s the £’s that matter rather than the quality ? Such a shame as you being a regular patron have become decidedly unimpressed with the latest revamp, why did they not ask those who visited regularly like yourself:- what if any improvements would you consider for the revamp ? If like you say it’s been dramatically downgraded it sounds as though they obviously think dumbing down is the way forward. :confused:
Geoff.
By: hampden98 - 22nd October 2014 at 17:17
But we did go to the Tower of London to see the Poppies – and they were AWESOME!
To be honest that was the reason I went and yes they are very impressive.
Bit surprised that only 10% of the proceeds goes to charity. But £25 * 856’000 10 percents is still a tidy sum.
By: DragonRapide - 20th October 2014 at 20:36
Have been to Lambeth today. With a group of Year 9 students, so only not much chance of a detailed analysis. I agree with Hampden – much preferred the openness of the old Atrium. The exhibits are very jumbled, and it is difficult to locate some significant items – never saw the Ol’ Bill bus – must be there somewhere! Exhibits are captioned with wonky supermarkety labels that are too small and densely worded to bother with if you are in a rush. Or you are a semi-interested Year 9….
My focus was the First World War, but I was disappointed with the new gallery. Too busy to access the interactives, and not easy finding captions or working out what you are looking at. Students not engaged – went right over their heads. Most impressive thing for them – John Singer Sergeant’s awe-inspiring painting Gassed – no clever staging or interpretation – just an amazing painting, 95 years old – still making people catch their breath.
Disappointed, overall. Lot of bumf and faff involved in getting the trip together, and the learning experience was very limited.
But we did go to the Tower of London to see the Poppies – and they were AWESOME!
By: Edgar Brooks - 7th October 2014 at 23:00
A large number of the models are on the North Side at Duxford. Due to their age (and possibly the glue of the time,) they’re falling apart, and model-making firms are asking small fortunes to repair them.
By: snafu - 7th October 2014 at 22:15
Have you been to IWM North? I’ve not been to Lambeth for a while, but it sounds like IWM North was a sort of prototype for its revamp.
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October 7, 2014 at 5:20 pm