Posted:
5:10 p.m. January 9, 2022
Update:
17:43 January 9, 2022
Veterans and historical artifacts will come together with expert talks by leading curators and authors as Imperial War Museums launches its first-ever IWM Live event in Duxford.
Tickets are now available for IWM Live, a new one-day event on Saturday, June 11, 2022.
The day will bring together the collection of the IWM, the expertise of the museum’s curators, signing sessions by leading historical authors and the opportunity for visitors to interact with veterans of conflicts.
The American Air Museum at IWM Duxford, a Stirling Prize nominated building and the home of airplanes and stories celebrating American aviation
– Credit: IWM
Events will take place at IWM Duxford and range from discussions of iconic aircraft, such as the Lancaster, Vulcan, Spitfire and Mosquito, to demonstrations and presentations of some of the most fascinating objects in the IWM collection.
Avro 698 Vulcan B2. The Vulcan Restoration Trust will show visitors up-close the characteristics of the aircraft in a session titled “How to Survive a Vulcan Crash”
– Credit: © IWM 2010.20.3
Avro 683 Lancaster Mk X, at IWM Duxford airfield.
– Credit: © IWM 2010.20.5
These will offer the possibility of manipulating objects, some of which will be presented to the public for the very first time.
Emily Charles, Curator at IWM and Speaker at IWM Live, said: “We are excited to bring everything special about the IWM experience live and in person to this event.
“In particular, I look forward to bringing to the public the stories of some of the real people who shaped life and culture in the UK when US forces arrived in Britain during World War II.
“IWM Live is a truly exciting endeavor for us and there really is nothing better to see history come to life than at this site which saw some of the most dramatic days of conflict in the 20th century. “
Author Damien Lewis will discuss his latest book – scheduled for publication in May 2022 – at IWM Live.
– Credit: provided by IWM
The IWM organizers are delighted to be joined by expert writers, including Professor Richard Overy (dictators; Blood and Ruins: The Great Imperial War 1931-1945), Clare Mulley (The women who flew for Hitler), Dr Helen Fry (Master spy; Walls have ears), Katja Hoyer (Blood and iron) and Damien Lewis, who will discuss and sign copies of his latest book published a few weeks before IWM Live is held.
Black GIs in Britain employed in manual labor. IWM Curator Emily Charles will speak on the history of black Americans in Britain during WWII.
– Credit: © IWM HU 33450
Alongside them, IWM’s expert curators will host lectures on topics such as HMS Belfast and Arctic Convoys, Black Americans in Britain during WWII, and stories about the creation of IWM in the midst of World War I.
A Long Range Desert Group truck pulled up as its crew took a lunch break in the shade under the vehicle, July 1942. IWM curator Rob Rumble will use items from the collection of IWM to discuss what the patrols would have been like with this group.
– Credit: © IWM HU 71344
Katja Hoyer, author of Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire, said, “There couldn’t be a more suitable place to meet current and future readers.
“Duxford’s historical importance makes it a fascinating place to visit.
“I am delighted to be a part of this exciting program at IWM Live and to share the stage not only with my fellow historians, but with some of the museum’s fantastic collections.”
Historian Katja Hoyer, author of Blood and Iron, to address audiences and sign books at IWM Live
– Credit: provided by IWM
There will also be the opportunity to hear how the new WWII galleries recently opened by IWM London were designed.
IWM Duxford in Cambridgeshire is Europe’s largest air museum, with a fascinating history dating back to WWI.
Members of 19th Squadron RAF Duxford, where they were based and flew from during the Battle of Britain. The story of Duxford 1938-1940 will be the subject of events at IWM Live
– Credit: © IWM HU 58237
