This is topic Motion Picture Museums/UK-London in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 10-10-2001, 09:58 PM:
Gerard Cohen's post about theater history in S.C. brought up another similar topic by accident. The other night I was going though my Desert Storm scrapbook and opened up my turist map of London. I noticed that there are/were a few museums dedicated to the moving picture. Maybe some of our friends from the UK can supply us with some info? It would be very interesting and appreciated!
Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 10-10-2001, 09:59 PM:
Sorry Brad, I may have posted this under the wrong forum?
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 10-10-2001, 10:06 PM:
There are at least two museums (musea?) in the UK to check out: the National Museum of Photography, Film, and Television is in Bradford and is home to the Cinerama-equipped Pictureville Cinema. In London, there is the National Film Theatre, which is located in a museum whose name I forget but which is dedicated to the motion picture industry. I've visited both and can recommend them.
Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 10-10-2001, 10:18 PM:
I found the web site. It is the Museum of the Moving Image (MOM) and they are in cahoots with the National Theater Museum. The museum is currently closed for renovation and due to reopen in 2003. Maybe some of our friends in the UK can post some pictures. During my time in England, I got to see just a fraction of everything that I wanted to see, unfortunately this was not one of them.
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-11-2001, 02:15 AM:
The Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) where once upon a time I worked, closed in 1999 because of a plan to upgrade the entire complex on the South Bank of the Thames near Waterloo in Central London (which contained the museum and the National Film Theatre) which subsequently fell through. I wouldn't hold your breath about a 2003 rebirth: the BFI were saying Christmas 2000 when they closed the place. By way of compensation there is a new IMAX cinema about 5 minutes' walk from the NFT, built into a large traffic roundabout. I haven't seen anything there, but people I've spoken to say that the presentation is very good.By the way, if you visit the NFT you'll see why they're anxious to move out: see a film there and the surround sound is more likely to be coming from traffic on Waterloo Bridge above than from any Dolby hardware!
Also in London is the Science Museum in South Kensington:
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
which has a small collection of film-related artifacts, including one of Louis Le Prince's cameras.
At the University of Exeter in Devon (180 miles west of London, about three hours' train ride from Paddington or Waterloo) is the Bill Douglas Centre for the History of Cinema:
http://www.ex.ac.uk/bill.douglas/
But I agree, Bradford is the 'must see'. It's just over two hours' train ride from London and could easily be done as a day trip, though if you're looking to see a film in the evening you'd probably want to stay overnight.
Posted by Thomas Hauerslev (Member # 566) on 10-11-2001, 04:49 AM:
A link to my story about Pictureville cinema and what's on right now.------------------
Cheers, Thomas
..in70mm - The 70mm Newsletter
www.in70mm.com www.dp70.com www.70mm.dk www.hauerslev.com http://hjem.get2net.dk/in70mm
Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 10-11-2001, 05:38 AM:
Scott,Leo & Thomas Thanks for the kind word about our Museum http://www.nmpft.org.uk
We are just about to officially launch our new facility ,Insight:
Collections & Research Centre http://www.nmpft.org.uk/insight/home.asp
which highlights some of the more important items in the collection.
As for M.O.M.I for latest official updates see http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmcentre/showcase.html
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-11-2001, 06:56 AM:
I fear that the BFI's official version could be a tad optimistic. Stephen Herbert, former technical manager of MOMI (and my former boss) notes on his website that:
quote:
The British Film Institute, which had the responsibility of running the museum and decided to close it, originally stated that the closure was for 'refurbishment'. It then announced that a new museum would be opened in 2003 on a nearby site. These 'plans' have now been set back, and a new museum seems unlikely.
Source: http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~s-herbert/notices.htm
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 10-11-2001, 07:43 AM:
The National Museum Of Cinema Technology, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.The display is being moved to a better and more permanent building. The PPT museum is at present closed, for re-opening date visit www.pptrust.org The Projected Picture Trust Preserving The Magic Of Cinema. Apart from the huge display of projectors and other items through the ages, there will also be a new cinema with a large projection box equipped with a pair of 35/70mm projectors, a 16mm projector, and a Brenograph effects machine.
Bletchley Park is where the decoding of secret German Enigma codes was broken, as seen in the latest film “Enigma”
.
There is also a another museum to visit www.codesandciphers.org.uk The Bletchley Park Trust, The Mansion, Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB. Telephone number 01908 640404. Also visit www.bletchleypark.org.uk
Two worthwhile visits in one. There is a railway station, and easy access by road.
Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 10-13-2001, 09:50 AM:
The adress for the nmpft is http://www.nmpft.org.uk There is a www Dick 
Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 10-13-2001, 03:07 PM:
To err is human... 
To pose in unsuitable female clothing is Divine 