IWM is in the Lambeth area of London that is composed of five museums which show how London was during war and conflict from World War I to the present day.  Many objects and videos in the museum tell the human stories of lives in the war and showed how conflict has shaped the world live in today.

IWM as founded during World War I with a mission to preserve and tell the stories of all kinds of people from all countries of its empire.

 

This display showcased Eva Allpress and her sisters Betty & Nellie who were all members of the Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS) worked at their local hospitals to help prepare food and refreshments to soldiers who were bombed in areas of London. The WVS was founded in 1938 to involve women in war and civil defense. Volunteers has a wide range of jobs including assisting in the evacuation of children, running rest centers for soldiers and organizing clothing exchanges.

Eva Allpress who worked during World War II at a local draper’s. The shop sold fabric and dressmaking materials. She saw customers struggling to buy materials or making enough materials during the war when most things were rationed in June of 1941. The government encouraged everyone to ‘Make Do & Mend’ by fixing and sewing up their old clothes. Eva, her mother and sisters spent a lot of their time making clothes and altering them for the family.

Clothes rationing also released workers for war work and to save factory space. Everyone had an allowance for coupons and had to be handed over when buying new products. This was the first time ‘utility’ clothing was introduced to provide low cost and good quality clothing.  Large families handed down clothes to younger members and the government offered advice to how to mend old clothes. Organizations such as the Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS) set up sewing groups and clothing exchanges.

In May 1999, the Dalai Lama opened the Tibetan Peace Garden next to the Imperial War Museum. It was commissioned by Tibet Foundation and built on land provided by Southwark Council. It has been donated to the people of the UK since then.

The Tibetan Peace Garden honors one of the valued teachings of the Dalai Lama. He felt the need to create understanding between different cultures and to establish places of peace and harmony in the world. The garden was created to establish a deepening awareness of the Dalai Lama’s values and a greater understanding of Buddhist culture.

Sources: http://www.tibet-foundation.org/page/peace_garden

https://www.iwm.org.uk/about