The Imperial War Museum is one of London's most popular attractions offering exhibitions and activities suitable for every visitor. Their latest major attraction is What Lies Beneath – British Experiences of the Cold War. This is an exhibition with a difference – it's online!
The Cold War and the Berlin Wall
In 1961, the Berlin Wall, a powerful symbol of the Cold War, divided the city into the Soviet, British, French and American sectors. The Wall consisted of 155 km (96 miles) of concrete and barbed wire, with an average height of 3.60 m (11.8ft.). It was interspersed by strictly regulated crossing points such as Checkpoint Charlie.
Berlin Wall – Destroyed
The almost insurmountable barrier was opened by the East Germans on 9th November 1989, and had been completely destroyed by the end of 1990. To mark the 20th anniversary the Imperial War Museum has launched a new online exhibition, What Lies Beneath – British Experiences of the Cold War.
The exhibition is part of a nation-wide UK history education programme,Their Past Your Future. Supported by the Big Lottery Fund, the project is jointly steered by the Imperial War Museum, Museums, Libraries and Archives England; National Library of Wales; Northern Ireland Museum Council and Scottish Museums Council. The project is
What Lies Beneath... Personal Stories of the Cold War
The exhibition features a detailed Cold War chronology, videos, photographs, documents, audio tracks, plus links to other relevant sites. It sheds new light on a conflict rooted in World War II looking at the proxy wars, the arms race, the race to the moon, as well as the cultural and technological rivalry of the time. The exhibition features twenty specially recorded interviews of British people whose lives were affected by the Cold War including:
- Tim Lambon – Assistant Foreign Editor for Channel 4 News, was a Military Intelligence Officer in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Unilateral Declaration of Independence period.
- Mason Redfearn – a trawler skipper who was recruited by British Naval Intelligence in 1963 to photograph Soviet warships. The exhibition features the Robot Star camera and lens given to Redfearn for his surveillance activities.
- Sir Kenneth Adam – set designer for Dr Strangelove and some of the James Bond films of the 1960/70s.
- Alexei Sayle – the comedian’s father was involved in left-wing politics and his family travelled extensively behind the Iron Curtain.
- Peter Kennard – an artist who took part in anti-nuclear protests during the Cold War.
Imperial War Museum Online Exhibition
It opens with a simple interface through which visitors link to various themes:
- Culture examines the political, military and cultural friction between competing ideologies. Culture also investigates how the Cold War inspired artists, writers, film-makers and designers.
- End of the Cold War – the display looks at the years immediately before and after the opening of the Wall. Various events are assessed such as the Reunification of Germany, Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, the violent end to communism in Romania, and the unsuccessful August Coup which eventually led to the end of the Soviet Union.
- Espionage – the exhibition examines the work of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), much of which is still classified. It also tells the stories of some of Britain’s spies including Mason Redfearn, a trawler skipper, recruited by British Naval Intelligence in 1963, to photograph Soviet warships.
- Hot War – the exhibition examines the so-called ‘hot’ wars in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Korea and Vietnam.
- Ideology – this section demonstrates how capitalism and communism shaped the lives of the people living in East and West.
- Iron Curtain tells the story of how Europe was cut in half by walls, barbed wire and look-out posts. What was Britain’s role in preserving the Iron Curtain? How did division shape the lives of the population?
- Nuclear Threat – Why was the arms race MAD? The Soviet Union and the United States believed that having nuclear weapons reduced the risk of attack. If both countries possessed equal destructive power, it was not in anyone’s interest to start a war. Peace was maintainted by the promise of Mutually Assured Destruction – MAD!
- Science – the race to get the first man on the moon was on, inspired by the Cold War. British scientists attempted to build rockets and also looked into the effects of biochemical warfare.
- Legacy – What is the legacy of the Cold War? It might be over, but does it still affect people?
What Lies Beneath... can be explored at What Lies Beneath: British Experiences of the Cold War.
Frances Spiegel - Frances Spiegel, B.A. Hons. (Open)., Dip.Eur.Hum., read Art History/European Modern History at the Open University.
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