british national museum organisation branches locations england london founded museum intended record civil military war effort sacrifice britain empire world war museum expanded include conflicts british commonwealth forces involved museum aims provide encourage study understanding history modern war wartime experience originally housed crystal palace hill museum opened public museum moved space finally museum acquired permanent home previously outbreak second world war saw museum expand collections terms reference post war period museum entered period decline 1960s saw museum building referred serves organisation corporate headquarters 1970s museum began expand sites historic airfield referred royal_navy cruiser branch museum having previously preserved nation private trust cabinet war rooms underground wartime command centre opened public 1980s onwards museum building underwent series pound completed finally saw opening greater manchester fifth branch museum north england museum standing imperial war museums museum collections include archives personal official documents photographs film video material oral history recordings extensive library large art collection examples military vehicles aircraft equipment artefacts museum funded government grants charitable donations revenue generation commercial activity licensing publishing admission free admission fee levied branches museum exempt charity charities act non public body media sport january chairman trustees sir october museum director general history establishment february sir liberal commissioner works wrote prime minister propose establishment proposal accepted war cabinet march decision announced times march committee established chaired oversee collection material exhibited new museum set collecting material illustrate britain war effort dividing examining subjects army navy production munitions women war work early appreciation need exhibits reflect personal experience order prevent collections dead relics sir museum director general said exhibits contributions expressive action experiences endurance individuals museum curator secretary charles previously curator tower london july visit western order study best organise museum growing collection france met french government ministers reportedly took great interest work december changed resolution museum museum opened king crystal palace june opening ceremony sir addressed king behalf committee saying hoped museum complete took war find example illustration sacrifice museum monument military glory record sacrifice shortly act passed established oversee governance museum reflect museum imperial board included governments india south_africa canada australia new_zealand act debated felt museum undesirable war spirit commander said refuse vote penny public money commemorate madness shown late war august bank holiday public holiday museum opening visitors received november visited museum relocation museum moved building demolished 1950s 1960s way location central prestigious area museums accommodation proved cramped inadequate new permanent location found south river_thames building designed vacated following hospital relocation kent site owned lord originally intended demolish building entirely order provide public park severely area london eventually central portion hospital building retained extensive wings removed resulting space named lord mother sir described building fine building noble building great distinguishing dome great wings added accommodation longer required particular building contain collection shall preserve destruction fine building disappear distinguishing dome added housed hospital chapel museum reopened duke york later king new accommodation july second world war outbreak second world war museum began collect material documenting conflict november called war museum appeared opening sequence film unit production days children seen playing museum german artillery pieces captured world war evacuation british forces june british_army shortage equipment saw eighteen museum artillery pieces return military service museum trench clubs items sights optical instruments returned museum refused return historic items naval gun fired britain shot world war gun served victoria_cross winning boy museum initially remained open closed duration war september onset blitz january museum struck luftwaffe bomb fell naval gallery number ship models damaged blast short seaplane flown battle jutland destroyed closed public museum building variety purposes connected war effort repair garage government motor vehicles centre civil defence lectures fire fighting training school october museum mounted temporary exhibition end war august showcased technologies developed included submarine fuel pipeline fog dispersal method flame weapons bomb damage building exhibits museum obliged reopen galleries museum reopened portion galleries november galleries opened wing opened commonwealth forces engaged korea malaya museum began current policy collecting material modern conflicts british commonwealth forces involved despite expansion early postwar period period decline museum noble museum director described museum galleries appearing neglected dismal state decay museum numerous stunning exhibits notwithstanding redevelopment expansion museum building extended provide collections storage facilities major expansion museum moved site development included purpose built cinema museum acquired pair inch naval guns mounted royal_navy hms roberts fired action second world war went permanent display outside museum acquisition guns representative dreadnought era british battleships led museum seek acquire inch triple turret representative number classes british cruisers eventually lead preservation royal_navy light cruiser branch museum later october museum attacked claimed acting protest exhibition children caused damage valued approximately counting loss books documents conviction sentenced years prison royal_air_force fighter airfield declared surplus requirements needing space museum duly requested permission use site temporary storage entire site later transferred museum february referred museum branch 1970s government raised possibility museum taking historic cabinet war rooms museum reluctant new commitments related agreed museum looking site approached engineering firm plan phased programme works expand building exhibition space provide appropriate environmental controls protect collections improve facilities visitors following year april cabinet war rooms opened public branch museum phase works building started completed time museum closed public work included conversion previously hospital courtyard gallery featured strengthened ground floor support weight heavy exhibits floor second storey viewing balcony space placed tanks artillery pieces vehicles ordnance aircraft world war war years museum marketed new concentration military hardware described biggest boys bedroom london phase cost million million provided government museum reopened queen june september museum target attack london tourist attractions devices found basement gallery extinguished staff arrival fire brigade caused minor damage second stage redevelopment building museum remained open public completed 1990s works going museum seeking open branch north england seventy sites offered consideration local councils january culture secretary formally launched project construct new branch museum greater manchester following year final phase redevelopment completed development included installation museum holocaust exhibition opened queen june permanent exhibition dedicated holocaust museum development taken years cost million years later july opened museum partner national learning project entitled past future programme commemorate 60th anniversary end second world war partnership museums libraries scottish northern irish welsh museum authorities phase included touring exhibition seen million people overseas educational visits activities run local authorities second phase took wider 20th century historical comprised learning programme overseas visits social media professional development scheme digital archive project online exhibitions learning resources produced october museum initials forming basis new corporate logo september museum secured funding arts arts council england develop social interpretation systems allow visitors comment collect share museum objects social media systems incorporated family wartime exhibition london depicting british family life second world war opened april world war centenary august museum announced creation chaired foundation charged raising funds support redevelopment permanent galleries december plans announced world war gallery time conflict centenary duke cambridge foundation patron speech london october prime minister announced additional million government funding support museum redevelopment funding arrangements facilitate national centenary million redevelopment designed provides new gallery spaces dedicated history world war new central hall easier navigation improved visitor facilities access circulation preparation building work number galleries closed september december large objects removed conservation allow building work ahead closed public january museum partially reopened july formally reopened july duke cambridge branches 1970s onwards began expand sites branch opened public regular basis june branch museum cabinet war rooms opened architecture layout museum occupied road hospital building designed hospital surveyor plans submitted architects construction completed october hospital consisted range buildings feet long basement storeys parallel central entrance building substantially altered architect order provide space added blocks end frontage wings central portion added small single storey lodge existence road gate later central replaced copper clad dome order expand chapel beneath building featured theatre building rear site building remained substantially unchanged vacated hospital purchased lord wings demolished leave original central portion dome appearing tall later wings museum moved building ground floor central portion occupied principal art gallery east wing housing naval gallery west wing army gallery air_force gallery housed theatre floor comprised art galleries including rooms dedicated gallery women war work exhibits relating transport signals floor housed museum photograph collection second floor housed museum library west wing east wing map collection stored pictures drawings division exhibits service civil military activity persisted wide ranging galleries 1960s onwards september building received listed building status original hospital building largely occupied corporate offices extension houses library art store document archives 1980s created exhibition space floors stage created gallery space new second provided final phase partly funded million grant provided gallery space educational facilities floors redevelopment basement occupied permanent galleries second world wars conflicts ground floor comprised cinema temporary exhibition spaces visitor facilities floor included education facilities permanent gallery exploring special forces espionage covert operations second floor included viewing balcony art galleries temporary exhibition area permanent crimes humanity exhibition floor housed permanent holocaust exhibition fourth floor vaulted roof space accommodated lord opened november gallery exhibits museum victoria_cross collection alongside private collection amassed medals total saints museum acquired hospital building street building backs originally opened local philanthropist later hospital houses museum photographic film sound archives offices near village britain largest aviation museum houses museum large exhibits including nearly aircraft military vehicles artillery minor naval vessels seven main exhibitions buildings site provides storage space museum collections film photographs documents books artefacts site number british_army regimental museums including based historic site originally operated royal_air_force raf world war second world war played prominent role later fighter units support daylight bombing germany remained active raf airfield original buildings use number buildings architectural historic significance thirty listed building status site features number purpose built exhibition buildings prize winning designed sir site remains active airfield number civilian flying companies hosts regular air shows site operated partnership charity formed preserve civil aircraft promote appreciation british civil aviation history hms belfast town class cruiser launched served second world war participating december battle north cape firing shots operation overlord allied invasion normandy june saw combat korean war expected disposed scrap decommissioned efforts initiated preserve belfast museum ship joint committee established reported june preservation practical government decided preservation prompting formation private campaign saved nation trust successful efforts government transferred ship trust july brought london moored river thames near tower bridge opened public october belfast branch march acknowledged secretary state education science unique demonstration important phase history technology service years opinion capable representing generation historical evidence churchill war rooms cabinet war rooms underground complex served british government command centre second world war located beneath treasury building area westminster facilities operational constant use abandonment august surrender japan historical value recognised early public able visit appointment allowing public access site beneath working government office meant annual applicants visit war rooms admitted museum agreed administration site development supported prime minister admirer britain wartime prime minister winston_churchill opened war rooms april suite rooms accommodation churchill wife close associates added museum restoration rooms war stripped storage cost million war rooms site redeveloped biographical museum exploring churchill life development cost million interactive table enables visitors access material particularly electronic filing cabinet museum renamed churchill war rooms opened greater manchester branch museum outside southeast england purpose built museum designed architect building britain building overlooking manchester ship canal based concept globe shattered conflict representing earth air water building shape originally million museum eventually completed million anticipated funding forthcoming museum funded local national european development agencies private donations local transport property company contributed million museum floor main gallery space houses permanent exhibitions consist chronological display runs gallery perimeter thematic displays space walls gallery space screens projection hourly presentation main gallery described dramatic includes objects russian tank united_states marine corps jet british pounder field gun fired british_army shot world war museum hosts programme temporary exhibitions mounted separate gallery collections original collections date material amassed present organisation came 1960s reorganisation museum 1970s saw oral history gain increasing prominence museum created record interviews individuals experienced world war museum maintains online database collections documents museum documents archive seeks collect preserve private papers individuals experienced modern warfare archive holdings range papers senior british commonwealth army navy air officers letters diaries memoirs lower ranked servicemen civilians collection includes papers sir archive includes large collections foreign documents captured german second world war documents previously held air historical branch british government bodies foreign collection includes captured japanese material transferred collection includes files victoria george cross recipients correspondence relating bbc documentary great war documents collection includes national inventory war memorials museum reported documents collection contain collections papers art museum art collection includes paintings prints drawings sculpture works film photography sound collection originated world war museum acquired works commissioned works commissioned early art collection held works included pieces notable world war works include works commissioned hall remembrance collection expanded second world war receiving thousands works sponsored museum established renamed commission artists cover contemporary conflicts commissioned artists include queen country responding conflicts northern_ireland bosnia iraq afghanistan collection includes thousand items publicity material posters world wars recent material posters issued anti war organisations stop war coalition museum collection represented digital resources google art project museum reported total size art collection items film museum oldest film archives world archive preserves range historically significant film video material including official british film record world war notable archive world war holdings battle pioneering documentary film inscribed register german propaganda film submarine archive second world war holdings include film shot british military document combat actions british landings day june liberation bergen concentration camp april archive holds government information films propaganda features target tonight archive post second world war collections include material korean war cold war material film library nato material produced service bosnia official public records act archive continues receive material archive seeks acquire amateur film taken service personnel civilian material collection number known documentary series including great war world war museum reported size film archive excess hours film video digital footage photographs museum preserves photographs official amateur professional photographers collection includes official british photographic record world wars world war collection includes work photographers archive holds british aerial photographs world war largest collection kind second world war collection includes work photographers like official public records act continues receive material museum reported size photographic holdings approximately million images collections exhibits museum exhibits collection includes wide range objects organised numerous smaller collections uniforms insignia flags including canadian red ensign carried ridge union flag british surrender singapore found wreckage following september attacks personal trench art orders medals decorations including collections victoria military equipment firearms ammunition ordnance edged weapons clubs trench clubs weapons vehicles aircraft ships museum holds national collection modern firearms firearms collection includes rifle automatic pistol owned winston_churchill ordnance collection includes artillery pieces participated notable battles gun field gun action equipment captured enemy forces museum vehicles collection includes bus british forces world war number vehicles second world war museum aircraft collection includes aircraft notable rarity complete original existence surviving strike aircraft aircraft associated particular actions flown museum naval collection includes coastal motor boat submarine museum reported exhibits collection contain objects vehicles aircraft library museum library national reference collection modern conflict holds works aspects warfare including regimental unit histories rare german unit histories world war technical biographical material works war social cultural economic political military aspects library holds printed books printed newspapers trench magazines trench maps museum reported library collection contain items historic importance maps rare books items reference material sound museum holds sound recordings including large collection oral history recordings witnesses conflicts museum sound collection originated creation oral history recording programme sound collection opened public july collection includes recordings bbc second world war sound effects broadcasts speeches poetry museum world war centenary programme museum producing voices world war series drawing museum oral history recordings museum reported size sound collection hours governance executive non public body media sport receives financial support form grant aid governance museum responsibility originally established later amended museums galleries act relevant legislation board comprises president currently duke kent appointed sovereign fourteen members appointed varying proportions prime minister foreign defence seven members appointed respective governments january chairman trustees sir deputy lieutenant general sir past included admiral sir admiral fleet sir marshal royal_air_force sir trustee chairman second world war commanded chairman planning opened museum director general trustees acts accounting officer museum directors sir noted art historian explorer efforts map mountain range professor fine arts university_of_cambridge conway held post director death succeeded bradley served world war middlesex regiment later acquainted charles invited join museum initially engaged assembling museum poster collection bradley retired succeeded served navigator winning official historian authored controversial official history raf strategic air campaign germany retired succeeded previously centre visual arts moved victoria albert museum succeeded sir originally recruited research assistant retirement succeeded previously director noted media woman appointed lead british national museum
Imperial War Museum