Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum is a museum in London featuring military vehicles, weapons, war memorabilia, an extensive library open to the public Monday to Saturday, a photographic archive, and an art collection of 20th century and later conflicts, especially those involving Britain, and the British Empire. This location is the headquarters of a 5-branch system. The other locations are listed at the end of the page. The museum is partially funded by the government, but also relies on individual contributions and revenue generation through retailing, licensing income and other commercial activity.

The Imperial War Museum houses a large collection of oral recordings of interviews with people who were affected by war in the 20th Century. The sound archive has been used for a series of radio programmes and books, called Forgotten Voices, about war in the 20th century, including Forgotten Voices of the Great War and Forgotten Voices of the Holocaust.

Since 1995, the museum's Director General has been Sir Robert Crawford CBE.

History
Originally located inside the Imperial Institute (now Imperial College), the Imperial War Museum was moved temporarily to the Crystal Palace, located atop Sydenham Hill. The Museum was founded there in 1917 to commemorate those who had died in World War I (which was still being fought at the time). When that building burned down on 30 November 1936, a new location had to be found, and a building in Lambeth Road, Southwark, was settled on. That building, designed by Sydney Smirke, had originally been a psychiatric hospital, Bethlem Royal Hospital (otherwise known as "Bedlam"), located in St. George's Fields. In 1939, the Museum began including things relating to World War II, and then finally in 1953 it began its current policy of including memorabilia from all modern British conflicts.

Visiting the museum
Entrance is free, though there may be charges for special exhibits. Donations are encouraged. It is open daily, 10.00 am – 6.00 pm.

Other branches
The Museum also has several other branches in the United Kingdom:


 * The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms
 * Located in the bunker which was operational nerve centre of the British government during World War 2.


 * HMS Belfast
 * A light cruiser moored in the Thames.


 * The Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridge
 * An aerospace museum, including many military aircraft.


 * The Imperial War Museum North (Manchester)
 * Opened in 2002 to provide access to the people of the North to the museum's collections.