The Imperial War Museum's poppies. Image Credits - David Dixon - © Copyright David Dixon https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5908103
© Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The Imperial War Museum North, famous for its emotive exhibitions, is to become the permanent home for the famous poppy sculptures that were introduced to mark the centenary of World War One.

The sculpture was initially unveiled in 2014, with almost 900,000 ceramic poppies flooding the grounds of the Tower of London. ‘The Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ installation drew millions of visitors drawn to the location – each poppy symbolises a British life lost at the front line in World War One.

Poppies at the Tower of London. Image credit: Martin Pettitt - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdpettitt/15097719626/
Poppies at the Tower of London. Image credit: Martin Pettitt – free to resue under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. No Changes made. https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdpettitt/15097719626/

Sections of the arrangement, known as ‘The Wave and the Weeping Window’, have been displayed around the country since the initial layout was unveiled 7 years ago. They became part of the Imperial War Museum’s permanent collection in 2018 and have been displayed at both the Salford and London branches.

Senior curator at IWM, Laura Clouting, told BBC that: “It feels really fitting to have the poppies return and make their home at IWM North. This sculpture, both an artwork and a piece of social history, will provide visitors with the opportunity to consider the consequences of war afresh.”

The 12,960 handcrafted poppies in the museum’s ownership are to be combined into a new design which will be unveiled the day before Armistice Day, on the 10th of November, as a part of their Remembrance events.

For full details on how to book your place to see the exhibit, you can visit the Imperial War Museum’s website.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *