Shaped by familiarity: Memory, Space and Materiality at Imperial War Museum North

Abstract

This paper considers Imperial War Museum North’s attempts to disturb popular
memories about British experiences of war through the mobilisation of space and
materiality. However, it is argued that this does not succeed because of the spatial mediation and object placement employed throughout which allow the museum to reinforce bodily, spatial and historical experiences of the outside world. The second part of the paper analyses the neglected place of the museum shop in
this, which contributes to making the IWM visit one of familiarity because of the
quotidian consumption practices that are encouraged there.