War In the Museum

After our lecture on ‘War in the Museum’ I visited the National Army Museum and the Imperial War Museum. This week’s task was to look at the stories being conveyed in each of the permanent collections, and consider my emotional response as a viewer.  

At both museums, a narrative begins before you even enter the building itself. Both have similar arrangements of large guns and armored vehicles stationed outside their entrances, immediately giving the visitor a sense of the might of military force. However, once inside, the two museums begin to present quite different narratives. At the National Army Museum, the history of the British Army is told from its origin to the present day, whereas the Imperial War Museum focuses on people’s experiences of conflict in the last century. 

The National Army Museum is laid out chronologically, allowing the visitor to see how the British Army has developed over time. The first gallery space documents the founding of the Army, and has the words ‘The Making of Britain’ displayed in bold lettering on the wall. Arguably, this implies that the curators feel the army has positively shaped British heritage, suggesting that a slight bias towards the achievements of the army may influence the story being presented throughout the collection. In the first (and oldest) area, model soldiers are dotted around in action poses, there is a battle odds game to play, replica 19th century guns to fire, and Red-coat uniforms to try on. These interactive display methods all seem to put the visitor in the position of the solider, encouraging them to understand and appreciate the role of army members. The collection then spreads through rooms on several floors, so as the visitor literally progresses through the space, they also progress further into the modern history of the army. Each set of stairs leading to the next room looks like a timeline, with the name and date of a historical event written on every step. Consequently, even as the visitor moves between galleries, they are constantly reminded of the Army’s relevance to key events throughout Britain’s past. The most recently updated part of the collection is the ‘Conflicts of Interest’ gallery, which centers around modern conflict stories in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Here, the stark black and white colour scheme used for the display boards alludes to the idea of division and wrong verses right. Alongside factual boards about the Army’s involvement in overseas conflict, there is a comments wall and a poll to vote in, as if the curators aim to put the end of the museum’s narrative in the visitor’s hands, challenging them to think about their opinions of the Army’s place in modern Britain. 

Contrasting to the National Army Museum’s chronological display system, communicating the Army’s role over history, at the Imperial War Museum the permanent collection is split into separate galleries on different themes. As the IWM focuses on wartime experience in recent history, these themed galleries allow the collection to tell a series of several smaller narratives, connecting visitors more intimately with a range of separate experiences. Similarly to how models and replica sets are used in the Army museum, The IWM also uses this style of display. The ‘Family in Wartime’ gallery contains a mock air-raid shelter visitors can sit in, and the ‘Secret War’ section (about spying and espionage) is set out like a secret agent case, beginning in a video ‘briefing’ room. These display choices make the visitor feel like they are part of each of the different stories, helping to create a distinct feel for each gallery. A narrative of extreme human behaviours is explored over the spaces- in the ‘Extraordinary Heroes‘ gallery displaying hundreds of military medals, a story of extreme bravery is given, whereas the Holocaust Memorial exposes the extreme evils of persecution. Stepping into the ‘Extraordinary Heroes’ space is almost like stepping into an action film set, as there is a multitude of film screens, audio clips and bright spot lights surrounding each case of medals, glorifying the soldiers who received them. In contrast, the dim lighting that illuminates fragments of letters, diaries and possessions removed from concentration camp victims in the Holocaust gallery sets a sombre tone, forcing the visitor to reflect on horrific treatment that the people who once owned these objects faced.

Both museums had a thought-provoking effect, and I found as well as learning factual information, there were unexpected elements to each which had personal relevance to me.  I know my Gramps did national service in Cyprus, so when I came across the display dedicated to national service abroad at the National Army museum, I was fascinated to see the sorts of things he was involved with. When picked up, a telephone played audio clips of veteran soldiers talking about their experiences on national service. In particular, this engaged me, as it was reminiscent of talking to my Grandparents on the phone. The poll in the final room, where visitors had the chance to vote whether or not they’d deploy troops into combat in present day also really challenged me. It made me realise that I’m not actually sure what my opinions are. When conflict does break out over corrupt leadership and civilian oppression, is it right for us to intervene with military power, inevitably adding to the violence, even with the aim of eventually bringing about peace?

The Imperial War Museum also left me thinking and questioning. The large dark room in the Holocaust Gallery filled with a model of Auschwitz painted entirely in white had a disturbing and haunting effect, and the image stuck in my mind for a long time after. I felt an instant personal connection to the ‘family in Wartime’ section, which followed the life of a WW2 family living in Stockwell, as their house was just down the road from where my student halls are now. I think it was this insight into the lives of real individuals that made the narratives at the Imperial War Museum seem slightly more easily accessible than those at the National Army museum. The continuous narrative at the Army Museum became a bit overwhelming towards the end due to the maze-like layout of the space, but it will be interesting to see how their redevelopment plans alter how information is presented in the future. After visiting the permenant collections, I then went to the National Army Museum’s current special exhibition, called ‘The Unseen Enemy’. I actually found this had the biggest emotional impact on me out of everything else I’d seen in the two museums' collections. The videos of soldiers in rehabilitation after loosing legs and arms to improvised explosives in Afghanistan made me cry- I thought: this is real, this is what people are going through right now. Why aren’t we all more aware of the conflicts that are impacting the lives of civilians and soldiers all over the world today? I think its good for information like this to be in the museum. It’s a matter far too important to be ignored.