The Museum's renowned collection
includes more than three million items of historical, social
and cultural value. These include three key 'firsts': the world's
first negative, the earliest television footage and what is
regarded as the world's first example of moving pictures –
Louis Le Prince's 1888 film of Leeds Bridge. Alongside this
you will find the Playschool toys, Europe's first gallery dedicated
to digital media, its longest-established IMAX cinema and the
only publicly accessible Cinerama cinema in the world.
In 1996 the Museum embarked on Imaging Frontiers, a £16m
expansion programme. Funded by the Arts and Heritage Lotteries,
the European Community and from the private sector, the three-year
project enabled the Museum to expand to meet changing visitor
expectations and the challenges of the digital age.
Completed in spring 1999, the project has created a new Museum
for a new age.
From its outset the Museum has set new standards in display
and interactivity. Visitors can obtain a hands-on experience
of the media, learning how television cameras work or trying
their hand at animation among other activities.
Special events bring you face-to-face with leading photographers,
stars and programme makers, allowing you to ask the questions
you want answered. Three film festivals bring you the very
best in new and classic film.
Above all, the Museum invites you explore the media, the
world it presents and to think again.
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