With VJ Day less than two months away, the last six years of 50th-anniversary World War II commemorations are coming to a close. If you still haven’t had your fill of World War II anniversaries, ambiance and anecdotes, a visit to the Imperial War Museum in London is sure to sate any palate. Simply put, it has World War II exhibitions to end all World War II exhibitions.
Although the exhibits take a British perspective on the war, they offer a compelling view of life during that time. In addition to being intensely interesting, it serves as a sober reminder that civilians can and have suffered as much as any front-line troops. That’s a lesson worth learning, especially for Americans, for whom with the exception of Pearl Harbor and the occupation of an Aleutian Island or two, there hasn’t been a war on American soil in 130 years.
The main exhibit, “London at War,” depicts life in the British capital between 1939 and 1945. It features among its recreations a bomb shelter, a BBC studio and a fashion shop. “The London Blitz Experience” also is worth the wait in line. It offers a dozen or so people at a time the chance to experience what it was like to live through a Nazi air raid in an underground station followed by a nighttime walk home through London after it ends to see whether their house has been destroyed in that night’s bombing.
Other civilian-oriented exhibitions include:
“The Channel Islands: Occupation and Liberation 1940-1945” describes the day-to-day life of the inhabitants of the only part of the British Isles to be occupied during the war. The exhibit includes the homemade wireless receiver on which the islanders listened clandestinely to BBC broadcasts, mementos from the labor camps on Alderney, souvenirs of the liberation, and photographs, recordings and original film footage from the period. It runs through Oct. 1.
“Occupation” is a special program for children depicting life on the Channel Islands. Young visitors will accompany actors on a reconnaissance mission, use secret radios, sample wartime rations and follow gallery trails. The program runs Aug. 12-28 from noon to 3 p.m. Tickets are free, but they must be reserved in advance. In London, call 0171-416-5311.
“Children in War” is an exhibit of selected works by students from Royal School of Art on the theme of children in war. The exhibit runs July 18 through Sept. 17.
“Victory in the Far East” focuses on the plight of prisoners of war and civilian internees held by the Japanese during World War II. The exhibit runs Aug. 15 through Dec. 15.
In addition to these special exhibits, the Imperial War Museum has comprehensive collections devoted exclusively to World Wars I and II, including an assortment of weapons in the main hall that include everything from a Sopwith Camel to a Supermarine Spitfire fighter planes, German V-1 and V-2 rockets that terrorized London late in the war, various pieces of artillery and tanks from both wars.
The Imperial War Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is British pounds 4.10 for adults ($6.56 in U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of $1.60) and British pounds 2.05 ($3.28 U.S.) for children ages 5 to 16. Family rates are available, and admission is free daily after 4:30 p.m. The museum is readily accessible on the south side of the River Thames between the Lambeth North or Elephant & Castle underground stops on the Bakerloo line.
Amazon adventure
There remain a few pristine parts of the world where tourists have not completely trampled the local flora and fauna, and the Amazon River basin is one of them. Despite the shrinking rain forest, the Amazon basin still contains 1,800 species of birds, 2,000 types of fish and 200 land animals.
Anna Roosevelt, curator of archeology at the Field Museum, is leading a special expedition Sept. 1-13 to explore the wonders of the Amazon. Roosevelt has 20 years’ experience in Amazon archeological excavations and has written extensively on the region.
The group, which is limited to 20 participants, will fly to Manaus and spend three nights before boarding the M/S Desafio , which has a sundeck, covered deck with bar and restaurant with a panoramic view. The tour cruises up the Rio Negro for a wildlife excursion. After returning to Manaus, the group will fly to Santarem for two nights before flying to Belem on the eve of the return flight to Chicago.
The trip costs $5,800 per person based on double occupancy (single supplement is available; price to be determined). The price includes airfare and surface transportation, first-class hotel and onboard accommodations, most meals, guides and sightseeing costs. Call 312-322-8862.
If you want to explore an ecosystem that’s a little closer to home, Wilderness Inquiry and The Nature Conservancy are offering two five-day canoe trips July 26-30 and Aug. 23-27 to Lake Superior’s Susie Islands. Using the Grand Portage Hotel as a base, participants of all ages and abilities will explore the region in 24-foot canoes.
The trip costs $795 double occupancy (single supplement $120) and includes accommodations in the Grand Portage Lodge in Grand Portage, Minn., lunches on the trip and the first and last dinner as well as a donation to The Nature Conservancy. For those flying into Minneapolis, Wilderness Inquiry offers the 300-mile round-trip transportation between the Day’s Inn near the airport (available via shuttle) to Grand Portage for an additional $60.
