Remembrance Day at the War Memorial at Albert Bentley Place - Image: Kelly Nguyen

Salford Quays’ Imperial War Museum North is marking 100 years since the Great War with a “lest we forget” theme.

Last Sunday, Armistice Day, visitors honoured the dead with silence at the Imperial War Museum(IWM) North.

The Museum hosted them with the exhibition titled “Lest We Forget?”.

The project is a part of the “Making a new world” season. It aims to look back at the Great War, furthermore provoking discourses about the shaped future.

The visitors thoroughly enjoyed the history lesson, some even describing it as “absolutely tremendous”.

Victoria Henley, from Brighton, said: “I am amazed by what they’ve done here. The exhibitions is absolutely tremendous. It’s interesting to see how views changed. To explore the personal stories. You really learn about that.”

Salford sent more than15,000 men to the war. The nature of the battalions was mainly voluntary. Therefore, many of them remained on the battlefield forever.

Andrew Collier, from Wigan, supported the project, saying that: “Through exhibitions like this one people will remember them. It’s important to remember.”

The exhibition includes graphic imagery of soldiers in trenches.

Consequently, all the documents from bereaved relatives are also there.

End-of-the-war art is also presented, most noteworthy being John Singer Sergeant’s “Gassed”.

 

Gassed

© IWM (Art.IWM ART 1460)

A separate exhibition of poppies is displayed by the entrance of the IWM North.

They are 5000 in total, while each being individually made.

Poppies: Wave outside IWM North. Artist Paul Cummins. Designer Tom Piper.
Photographed 7th September 2018.
Credit: IWM

Certainly, “Lest We Forget?” carries the echoes of the past.

It will be on display until February 24 at the Imperial War Museum North in MediaCityUK.

Entrance is free, or for more visit IWM North’s website.

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