London: Imperial War Museum and a whole bunch of errands

[rm]

Today I was ridiculously productive.

I started the day with the Imperial War Museum.

Pro-tip #1: No matter how affecting someone tells you it is, they are understating the case.
Pro-tip #2: Don't try to see more one or two exhibits at a time, because no one has that sort of informational or emotional capacity.

I started with "The Children's War" about WWII seen through the eyes of UK children. This was largely, but not exclusively, about the evacuation of children from London during the war. This is a fact I've known about, in some detail, because it was a central narrative of my own childhood, because my private school boarded UK girls fleeing during that time.

I started crying about 30-seconds into this exhibit and couldn't stop. Whether it was about a girl hero was received multiple medals at age 14 for being a message runner, or a small toy that was the only possession a child was able to save, this was hard. And the letters from children, the penmanship the same method I was taught -- it was suddenly as if my friends could have written those letters.

The exhibit also included a full-scale replica of a house from the era, which was lit, decorated and included sounds from the time -- records playing, radio broadcasts about the war. A half-finished dress on a mannequin in a sitting room; a slip laid out on a bed. I won't lie, this hit me somewhat from a place of fiction, but wasn't any more pleasant for that.

Perhaps most remarkable, however, were people on site who had been part of those children evacuated who were available to talk about their experiences on a one-on-one basis.

I also went to the trenches exhibit, as someone here had suggested. I found this difficult, but less affecting, perhaps because there were other people there, and I was too nauseous from the scent of it to take in the other details, not that that wasn't informative.

I also tried to do the Holocaust exhibit, but only managed to in the most cursory of ways. As with most Holocaust exhibits content on LGBT people was limited to men (women wore the black triangle, and not for having sex with other women, but for not serving the Reich in appropriately feminine ways, such as childbearing). I don't expect to be more than a footnote, but I hate not being one.

I thought the exhibit was impressive for its clarity and clinicalness. It let the events speak for themselves, and made an effort to demystify life under the Nazi's -- not just for Jews, but for those who were not targeted. The museum is very very good overall at letting small details paint large pictures.

I also wandered through a bunch of WWII stuff, but skipped a lot of it because I was far too overwhelmed by that point (having done more crying at the Holocaust exhibit) and was crying at weird crap by then. Also, too many groups of teenagers who couldn't be quiet where quiet was needed.

After that I went to check out the tattoo parlor that I liked very much. So I am tentatively going to do that Monday, but that dependent on a number of factors including my ongoing health. (I passed the stone. Everything is still sore.)

Then I went to the Sainsbury's in Whitechapel and got my gluten-free groceries before heading back to Brick Lane to eat dinner.

Now I am EXHAUSTED (also the tube was all fucked because someone went under a train at Ealing and I must have gone through 20 stations in my running about today), back in the room, and knowing I need to take the notes for my paper response and make them into something coherent, as well as write my WIAD and do a bit of other work. All doable, but I want a nap. A nap, however, is risky, as I might well sleep 'til morning.

I still owe you the airport story. And I still need to plan out tomorrow which is highly sensitive as far as timing goes.

Link round-up later if I can manage it, although other than work I want to wander around here in the evening a little. Also, I owe you all a thing about the construction of masculinity and clothing here as opposed to the US.

Comments

[tree00faery.livejournal.com]

I find war museums and the like hard - I also tend to cry very easily, and I don't really like to do so in public. But the one you went to sounds very good, so perhaps I will go if I am ever in London again.

I hope your health and such are well enough for you to get the tattoo. ^_^

Don't feel like you have to write up everything here immediately - sounds like you've got tons to do, and we can wait.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Also, I owe you all a thing about the construction of masculinity and clothing here as opposed to the US.

I am intrigued and look forward to it. But only when you've recovered! Oof. (Glad to hear the stone's gone.)

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Jim found that museum by pure accident when he was stationed there with the Air Force in the mid-80's! He'll be delighted to hear someone else found it too.

[austengirl.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you made it to the IWM. I wish I'd been able to better convey the emotional intensity I felt about what we saw in our visit (such as the retrospective of a noted conflict photographer, which I wrote a bit about here), as more of a heads up to you, but yes, I very likely did understate it. I will bear your experience in mind when I get to the London one.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

The IWM is my favourite museum in London. I've been there every time and every time I see it differently.

It is exhausting.

I remember going to the Blitz exhibition and had a flashback to my own childhood during the first Gulf War. Talk about freaky.

[dabhug.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing your visit to the museum. I felt that way visiting the Holocaust Museum in D.C. Too much emotion, not enough time, and too many teenagers to fully be able to handle it, but I'm very thankful I was able to go.

I'm glad the stone has passed. I hope you can get some good rest soon.

[pineapplechild.livejournal.com]

The Imperial War Museum is one of my favorite museums almost ever. I find their style particularly effective. (Also, I lost my youngest sister in the Children's War section once, and that combination was *terrifying*, due to some personal responsibility/eldest sibling quirks.)

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

women wore the black triangle, and not for having sex with other women, but for not serving the Reich in appropriately feminine ways, such as childbearing

I've NEVER heard that before.
I feel like an idiot for not knowing there was a colour difference.

[bugeyedmonster.livejournal.com]

I had not known that either. I am so going to have to look that up. I remember our nuns bringing in Holocaust survivors (when I was in school) and having them tell us their stories. I remember one girl getting so upset she had to leave. One guy had a ton of pictures.

I know that it wasn't just Jews, but a whole list of 'undesirables'. Pretty big list and I'm ashamed to say that I've forgotten most of it.

I do remember that the Third Reich had this attitude towards childbearing that was almost like horse or dog breeding. Really freaky.

[soukup.livejournal.com]

Also, I owe you all a thing about the construction of masculinity and clothing here as opposed to the US.

*Can hardly wait*

Also: tattoo?! Do tell!

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

Your post reminds me of the time I went to the Peace Museum in Hiroshima. It can be quite overwhelming.

[hoyland54.livejournal.com]

The Denkmal für im Nationalsozialismus verfolgten Homosexuellen in Berlin alternates between showing a video of men kissing and of women kissing. There were, however, epic rows when they decided on the memorial and when they swapped the videos (they're supposed to swap every two years, but it's only been open since 2007, so there's only between the one swap), both about what 'persecuted' precisely means and about the function of memorialisation.