Imperial War Museum Photos

Earlier this month, I was in London visiting my friend Chris.  I took the opportunity to do a bit of museuming.  The Imperial War Museum didn't have very much about codebreaking -- mostly their Secret War exhibit focuses on spies -- but I did enjoy the exhibition of WWII portraits, People's War.  There was a portrait of a desert rat that made me think of my granddad.  The new Family in Wartime exhibit is not as interesting as the old Children's War one, though, but I'm glad they've put several Evelyn Dunbar paintings in there, her work is wonderful.  Here are some photos and sketches from my day out:

opposite the British Museum: Randolph Caldecott's house is now a bookshop

Imperial War Museum

from a display with quotes and pictures related to the blackout -- I keep stumbling upon this cow photo!

so many mid-C20th illustrators also created arresting war art.  This is a harrowing drawing by cartoonist Ronald Searle (St Trinian's, Molesworth).  Ronald Searle drew fellow POWs in secret. Many of his pictures have a corner chewed off because he was so hungry and just wanted to eat anything.

postcard of a poster from WWI

this is from 'the Trench Experience' exhibit. I'm not sure if these pics of the models are bad taste or not. I had to do them in b&w because the lighting was so low, but it does make them look like I'm trying to fake real photos.

the models had creepily detailed faces and injuries

some quick doodles I did - sandbags

evacuees

blackout clock