Jack Lemkuil
31 March 2019
World City: Representing London
Blog #2
            When I first came to London, one of the first places that I wanted to go see was the Churchill War Rooms and the Imperial War Museum. My sister studied abroad in London two years ago and went on and on about how life-changing both of these places were. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the two museums are actually a part of a set of museums under the term “Imperial War Museums”. Prior to the class trip, I conducted research into World War I and II in order to really appreciate all the museum had to offer. Even before getting to the Imperial War Museum, I learned so much from reading the museum’s website and watching the documentary from the UW-Madison database. One of the most fascinating parts of World War 1 exhibit was the soldier’s glove that was shrunken as a result of poisonous gases from the war. I have heard for years about the toxic warfare that was used in the World Wars but seeing that glove really startled me. I couldn’t fathom how it was possible for the glove’s shape to become so contorted. The next exhibit that I found thought-provoking was the Holocaust section. Most of the museum’s that we have taken field trips to so far have been simplified and nullified for children. The Imperial War Museum was not this case. The Holocaust section did not hold back in presenting testimonies and photographs of the harsh realities of the people during that time. Overall, I think the Imperial War Museum did a good job at approaching the topic of the World Wars as it was able to actually convey the hardships that happened during that time. It is able to serve as a reminder what happened so people don’t make the same mistakes again.  

Sources
“IWM London.” Imperial War Museums, Imperial War Museums, www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london.

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