Collection: Northern Ireland War Memorial

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The NIWM was first established in Waring Street, Belfast, on a site which was cleared by the air raids on Belfast in 1941. The building which opened in 1963 was intended to provide offices and a central meeting place for ex-service organisations as well as a Hall of Friendship which stood as a symbol of the close ties of friendship which had been formed between the American forces and the people of Northern Ireland during the Second World War.

  The principal features of the Hall of Friendship were several large artworks commissioned specifically for the space:

  • A hammered copper frieze by James McKendry. One part depicts the American troops moving eastwards through the countryside to Belfast Lough to embark on the troopships to take them to the theatres of war in North Africa and Europe. The other part depicts the Home Front with images of men and women taking part in wartime activities in both rural and industrial settings.
  • A large stained-glass window designed by Stanley Murray Scott.
  • A memorial wall of black marble which was quarried in Belgium, in front of which stood a specially designed plinth of Ulster granite carved in a hexagonal shape to present the six counties of Northern Ireland.

  The building later housed a collection of objects relating to the Home Front in Northern Ireland during the Second World War. A core collection was established from 1989 when a public appeal was made for artefacts to establish a Home Front Heritage Centre in the War Memorial Building, Waring Street, Belfast. Life-size mannequins of representatives of the Ulster Home Guard, Civil Defence, Women’s Voluntary Service and United States Army were produced.

  In 2006 a decision was taken to sell the War Memorial Building as half the building had become vacant and was proving expensive to maintain. New accommodation was acquired nearby on Talbot Street as the new home for the NIWM collection. The new exhibition opened in 2008. Considerable care was taken to incorporate the large artworks into the new building as well as commissioning new artworks by John Sherlock, Carolyn Mulholland and Diane McCormick.

  The NIWM became an accredited museum in 2013 and since then the collection has grown across all themes outlined in this policy with a collection of over 5,000 objects in 2023.

  The NIWM has a growing collection which is at the heart of everything it does. Through delivery of the Strategic Plan 2023-27, the NIWM will ensure that the collection develops to reflect the whole of Northern Ireland’s experience in the Second World War. The NIWM will review its collection and proactively collect objects and stories which address underrepresented aspects of the Second World War in Northern Ireland. The NIWM will continue to facilitate and commission high-quality research and publications.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Accessioned collection

  Permanent exhibition

  A collection of artefacts on display illustrates the contributions of the people of Northern Ireland to the war effort in the Second World War, the American Presence, and the Belfast Blitz. The permanent collection also features contemporary artworks: two bronze sculptures, an oil portrait, a copper frieze, a stained-glass window, and a memorial marble wall.

  Foyer

  Ceramic installation by Diane McCormick depicting bombs falling on Belfast.

  Collections Store

  Objects in storage include books, scrapbooks, diaries, magazines, military uniforms, civilian costumes, flags, photographs, letters, newspapers, prints, drawings, and ephemera relating to Northern Ireland during the First and Second World Wars. This collection is used to update the permanent exhibition and produce temporary exhibitions and is accessible to researchers.

  Oral history

  Digital audio recordings and transcripts of over 250 oral history interviews with people who lived in Northern Ireland during the Second World War. The project was launched in 2016 and is ongoing.

  Non accessioned collection

  Handling and props

  Non-accessioned material for learning, loan boxes, window displays and outreach workshops.

  Reference library

  History books (fiction and non-fiction) relating to the First and Second World Wars are catalogued and available to browse on www.niwarmemorial.org before consultation in the NIWM study room.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC