Imperial War Museums: Founded to Display WW1 Material
In 1917, the government decided to set up a museum in order to collect and display material relating to the ongoing Great War.
The first Imperial War Museum was opened in 1920 by King George V, in Crystal Palace in south London.
In 1924, the collection moved to new premises in South Kensington and then in 1936 the museumβs current home (on the site of βBedlamβ, the Bethlam Royal Hospital) was officially opened by the Duke of York.
With the outbreak of World War Two the museum widened its remit to cover both the world wars. The remit has been extended further to include all post 1914 military operations involving British and Commonwealth forces.
In 2014, Imperial War Museums London reopened to the public after a Β£40 million transformation.
Location: Crystal Palace, London SE20
Image: Crystal Palace, courtesy of IWM
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