Comparing the National Army Museum and Imperial War Museum

As you enter the Holocaust exhibition in the Imperial War Museum you are greeted by a video depicting Jewish people reminiscing about what life was like before the Nazi’s. As you go through the rooms you are following a specific timeline of events which culminate in the mass murder in the concentration camps and the defeat of Hitler and the Nazis. It feels as though you are being told a story and the way the exhibition is displayed it has an impact, there isn't too much information and it’s in a wide range of media such as videos, posters and artefacts  I think the Museum is portraying Jews as “the ultimate victim.”

In Contrast, when you enter the World War I & World War II exhibition in the National Army Museum the layout has a less personal atmosphere, there doesn't seem to be a flow in the information given which makes it harder to decipher the story it is trying to tell. When walking through the exhibition you feel almost overwhelmed with the amount of information on offer, there doesn't seem to be a single angle or vested interest imposed on you.  However, it has a more interactive approach as they have remodelled many scenes from battle incorporating sound effects and realistic dummies.


Overall, I feel I engaged more with the Imperial War Museum. The general layout and display felt more personal and although there was less information you still got a wider picture of what happened as if you were being told the story first hand and thus evoking more emotion. However, although the exhibitions had a brief crossover through WWII and Germany I feel I can’t fully evaluate them against each other as they are predominantly for different purposes and are presenting different histories.

No comments:

Post a Comment