Imperial War Museum

The London Blitz

Imperial War Museum has five museums that curate photographs, objects and stories that give an insight into people’s experiences of war, preserve them for future generations, and bring them to today’s audiences in the most powerful way possible. They offer an extensive learning and outreach programme in addition to exhibitions and events.

IWM is also an Independent Research Organisation and their curators actively engage with the academic community in new and challenging ways in order to deepen our understanding of war and its impact and to enrich our public outputs.

They have kindly agreed to share some of the powerful and emotionally intense photographs that were taken during the London Blitz during WW2, from their collection:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=london+blitz&filters%5BwebCategory%5D%5BPhotographs%5D=on&pageSize=&media-records=records-with-media

https://www.iwm.org.uk

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The London Blitz

1940-1941

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth standing with workmen, while inspecting bomb damage at Buckingham Palace.

1940s Cecil Beaton print of bomb damage, Bloomsbury Square, London, 1940.

Young girl drinks a mug of tea outside a Londoners' Meals Service mobile canteen.

Damage caused by the V2. In the foreground, a man inspects the propulsion unit of a "V" rocket bomb.

Teachers serve food to women and children from a "Londoners Meal Service" mobile canteen.

1940s Cecil Beaton print of bomb damage to HMV (His Master's Voice) Gramophone Shop, Oxford Street, London, 1940. The shop had been opened by Sir Edward Elgar in 1921.

Photo taken Balham 15.10.40. At 8.02pm on 14th October 1940 a 1400kg semi-armour piercing bomb dropped on Balham Underground Station, causing the massive crater shown here. The bomb exploded 32 feet underground above the passageway which joined the two platforms. A number 88 bus, travelling in the black out, drove straight into the crater. About 600 people were sheltering in the station when the bomb exploded. Water, gas and sewage mains were all ruptured and many people drowned as the station flooded. 68 people were killed.

Two Dornier Do 217 bombers flying over the Plumstead sewer bank, Crossness pumping station and the Royal Arsenal butts on Saturday 7 September 1940, the first day of the sustained Blitz on London.

Imperial War Museum: Pro Gallery