Wireless operators of C Set Unit using First World War equipment for inter-Brigade communications, Peshawar District Signals, Khyber Pass in 1939.

The Imperial War Museum has an unparalleled collection covering all aspects of twentieth and twenty-first century conflict involving Britain and the Commonwealth.

The Collections encompass a wealth of material:

* 19,000 paintings, drawings and sculptures constituting the second largest collection of 20th century British art in the world
* 15,000 posters
* 120 million feet of cine film
* 10,000 hours of videotape
* 56,000 hours of historical sound recordings
* more than 10 million photographs, negatives and transparencies
* over 15,000 collections of unpublished diaries, letters, memoirs and other papers
* 270,000 library items, including books, maps and ephemera
* plus thousands of three dimensional objects including, uniforms, medals, firearms, as well as hundreds of larger objects including aircraft and vehicles

Much is on display but the Museum is unique in the degree of access it offers to its reserve collections. Professional and private visitors are welcome to study 'behind the scenes' and the Museum deals with over 80,000 enquiries each year. Over 120 people work in the Collections Division, helping to acquire, catalogue, conserve and correctly store or display the items.