Imperial War Museum London

It's been a few years since I have visited this excellent museum and I have been eagerly awaiting the reopening after its two year long refurbishment and enlargement. While I enjoyed the old building in its previous layout I'm not one of these people that clings to the past and rejects change. I loved the transformation of the British Museum in 2000 into the bright, modern and visually stunning space it is now and I have to say I'm equally impressed with the new interior of IWM London. Many of the old and much loved exhibits previously on display have been returned and the new space truly does them justice. 

So in the last few days of the kids summer holidays I took my youngest daughter along. I didn't take as many pictures as I usually do, partly because photography isn't allowed in some areas and partly because many of the Galleries are rather poorly lit and with many exhibits behind glass trying to get a good photo was quite hard.

The Naval guns outside the entrance are iconic

Inside the new and enlarged entrance foyer

Another view of the entrance

Many of the large items such as the Spitfire and V2 are old favourites

A LRDG Chevrolet truck found in the Egyptian desert in 1980

A campaign map from North Africa

Monty's Staff Car

Anti Personnel Mines from the desert campaign

The T34 - The other tanks (Monty's Grant and the Jagdpanther) are no longer here and have presumably been moved to the Land Warfare hall at Duxford.

We had a great day at IWM London but there were a few things that I was disappointed about that are worth mentioning. Firstly I didn't find the museum map very helpful and I'm sure there were lots of things that we missed as a result. I'm not sure if this is a case or a poorly designed map or a ploy to get visitors to buy the guide book (I'm ever the cynic) but I do think it makes it harder for visitors to find and explore those areas and artifacts that most interest and engage them. Also, as already mentioned, Photography isn't allowed in some areas - a policy I don't understand or agree with - and I didn't feel the signage alerting visitors to this was very clear. I was 'told off' twice for taking pictures in prohibited areas because I hadn't seen the no-photography sign, and in other galleries where I probably could have taken photo's I felt too intimidated to do so. A great pity, and I'm sure the staff have better things to do than police the photography rules.

Having said all this I can't stress enough that if you get a chance you really need to visit this museum for yourself. The collection is second to none and I found many of the new displays were exceptionally well laid out with a good interactive element. I really like the interior redesign and I thought the exhibitions and new displays were very good, albeit limited in scope because of space constraints. The WWI exhibition is particularly good and very interesting but be warmed some of the images are rather graphic and my be unsuitable for small children. Also this gallery in particular is very dimly lit making photography without a flash nigh on impossible.