The Imperial War Museum

Concentration Camp Model

Holocaust Artifacts

  Overwhelmed was my first emotion walking upon the Imperial War Museum. The building had a historical architecture feel.  Odd fact about it was it's previous purpose was an insane asylum that at one point housed Charlie Chaplins mother in 1930. I had no idea how large in informative it was before adventuring through the four levels of exhibitions.  It covers conflicts of all war history, especially those relative to Britain and the commonwealth, starting at World War 1 and ending at present day.  Everything possible from uniforms, tanks, missiles, planes, guns, whatever is relative to war they had it.
 The section I found most interesting was the third floor Holocaust exhibit.  I had visited the Holocaust memorial museum and the Jewish museum in Berlin and found it extremely interesting.  This exhibit particulary went into better detail about the actual war aspects and gave more of a treacherous visual.  There were many audio videos to listen to of ex concentration camp member telling their story and how awful times were during Hitlers reign.  Any artifacts possible were on display, uniforms, hats, worn out shoes, letters, and anything else.  One thing I hadn't seen anywhere else was the massive imitation of the Auschwitz concentration camp that had been put together from clay.  The information plaques around the walls gave descriptive details of the harsh and cruel endeavors Jews had forced upon them.
 The parts related specifically to the British wars was interesting but not as much as expected just because my lack of knowledge about their history.  It was eye opening in the fact I realized how much more there is to history I am unaware of and the troubles other nations have been through and the limits that have been pushed.

-Taylor Gentry