Imperial War Museums

A national group of five museums telling the story of modern conflict: IWM London, IWM Duxford, HMS Belfast, Churchill War Rooms and IWM North.

About Imperial War Museums

Imperial War Museums, known as IWM, tells the story of modern war and wartime experience through objects, art, film, photographs, documents and personal stories. Its remit covers all conflicts involving British or Commonwealth forces since 1914. The museum describes itself as more than a museum: it is also a national art gallery, a national archive of written and audiovisual records, and a research centre. The collections are large, and its galleries include the Holocaust Galleries at IWM London, which opened in October 2021.

IWM began with a proposal from the MP Sir Alfred Mond. The War Cabinet approved a national war museum on 5 March 1917, and it was renamed the Imperial War Museum after interest from the Dominion governments. It was set up by Act of Parliament in 1920 and opened to the public at Crystal Palace on 9 June 1920, before moving to Lambeth Road, south London, in 1936. The museum's history page says it was "not formed as a monument to military glory". It was founded to record the experiences of civilians as well as service people and to remember the sacrifices of every part of society.

IWM has five branches across England. IWM London, on Lambeth Road, is the headquarters and has free general admission. IWM Duxford in Cambridgeshire is Britain's largest aviation museum, opened in 1976. HMS Belfast, a Royal Navy cruiser moored on the Thames, became a branch in 1978. The Churchill War Rooms, a wartime government command centre in Westminster, opened in 1984. IWM North, at The Quays in Trafford, Greater Manchester, opened on 5 July 2002. Wikipedia names Caro Howell as director-general since May 2023.

We did not find staff numbers or a culture statement, so we cannot describe working life in detail, and we have not guessed. The five sites give a clue about its people. They need historians and curators who care for objects, archivists and film and sound specialists, conservators who keep aircraft and ships safe, learning teams who work with schools, exhibition designers, digital staff and visitor teams, plus fundraising, retail and facilities staff. Each site has a different character, from Duxford's aircraft hangars to a warship on the Thames.

For a student, IWM is a good example of how history, design and storytelling turn into jobs across England, not only in London. If you enjoy history, languages, film, engineering or working with people, the IWM website is the best place to see the organisation's current teams and openings. It may suit you particularly well if you want a job in a heritage setting outside the capital, such as Cambridgeshire or Greater Manchester.

What they do

• {'desc': 'IWM London, IWM Duxford, HMS Belfast, Churchill War Rooms and IWM North.', 'title': 'Museums and branches'}
• {'desc': 'Art, documents, film, sound and objects covering conflict since 1914.', 'title': 'Collections and archive'}
• {'desc': 'Programmes, exhibitions and research about modern war and its impact on people.', 'title': 'Learning and research'}

Key facts

• Approved by the War Cabinet on 5 March 1917; opened to the public on 9 June 1920
• Five branches: IWM London, IWM Duxford, HMS Belfast, Churchill War Rooms, IWM North (opened 5 July 2002)
• Holocaust Galleries at IWM London opened in October 2021
• Caro Howell named director-general since May 2023 (Wikipedia)

Website: www.iwm.org.uk