This is one of the areas that was covered in the earlier Waterloo to Lambeth Bridge – Photo Route A and focuses on the area around the Imperial War Museum (IWM) on Lambeth Road. I will be re-issuing this post with pictures from within the museum but for the moment it just covers the exterior. The site has interest all year round thanks to the gardens and there is plenty to photograph inside and out. The front of the IWM faces north so it is only in sun in summers during the early morning or late afternoon.
The Imperial War Museum (IWM) deals with the Britain and the Commonwealth conflicts from the First World War to the present day and was opened to the public 1920 in Crystal Palace. It moved to current site in 1936 which was previously the Bethlem Royal Hospital in Southwark (Bedlam) – which was the world’s oldest institution caring for people with mental disorder.
The site has a number of other features including:-
The Soviet War Memorial donated by the The Society for Co-operation in Russian and Soviet Studies (SCRSS). The memorial commemorates the sacrifice of 27 million lives by the citizens and armed forces of the former Soviet Union during World War II.
Section of the Berlin Wall. The colourful artwork with the positive Change Your Life message was created by the graffiti artist ‘Indiano’, and is said to have been inspired by a Rainer Maria Rilke poem. The colourful front of the Wall was on the West side, whereas the reverse side – facing East – is dull and grey and forbidding.
St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Archdiocese of Southwark, south London
Tibetan Peace Gardens This was opened in 1999 by the Dalai Lama, – the garden is a poignant homage to harmony and the power of nature to inspire and unite. The garden (otherwise known as Samten Kyil) also promotes a greater understanding of Buddhist culture. Eight meditation areas surround the main monument –
London Photo Areas and Routes 