International Heritage Centre, UK
From Sawiki
The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre is the leading repository of information and images relating to the The Salvation Army. It is invaluable for family, historical and picture research.
Based at Denmark Hill in South London, the Centre houses a collection of photographs, archival material and a library; it also has a research room.
Please note that our Museum is closed until further notice. However, the Heritage Centre remains open to researchers, Tue-Thu 9.30-3.30, by appointment
- Introduction
The museum and archive collection includes many items of historic interest, particularly those relating to the early history of the Christian Mission and The Salvation Army up to 1912, such as William Booth's earliest surviving letters, Christian Mission membership cards, Salvation Army bonnets, badges and musical instruments, and photographs illustrating the development of the Army's work in Britain and overseas.
- History 1925-1988
Throughout its approximately 75 year history, the museum has had a peripatetic existence, moving on average about every 5 or 6 years. Some historical items were included in the Salvation Army displays at the British Empire Exhibitions at Wembley in 1924/25, and afterwards a museum was established at International Headquarters, though the precise opening date is unknown. The museum moved to the Central Institute at Clapton Congress Hall in 1931, and then to Judd Street in 1934. During the Second World War, most of the items were stored for several years at Sandridge (near St Albans) before returning to Judd Street for storage after the war ended.
In 1951, the museum was set up at Clapton Congress Hall from June to October as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations, but afterwards the museum items were returned to Judd Street for a further period in store, before being transferred to the Training College in 1959. In the following year, a new museum was opened at Clapton Congress Hall and enjoyed a decade of uninterrupted existence, until the closure of the Clapton Congress Hall in 1970 again necessitated its relocation. A new 'permanent exhibition', entitled "The Salvation Army Story", opened at Judd Street in 1974, but like its predecessors, its permanence was not assured, as in its turn it closed in 1987, before being incorporated in the new International Heritage Centre, which opened at Judd Street in 1988.
The International Heritage Centre at Judd Street brought together the museum with the library and archives which had been established by Lieut-Colonel Cyril Barnes at International Headquarters in 1979.
- Lieut-Colonel Cyril Barnes, founder of the Salvation Army archives
Lieut-Colonel Cyril Barnes was appointed to the Literary Department at IHQ in 1948. It was there his special gifts were employed to the full.
He was the author of a number of books and countless articles in various periodicals. His knowledge of Army history and personalities was immense, and his research added greatly to the store of Army knowledge now available. It was this lifelong enthusiasm for Army history which, after his retirement in 1977, led to his being asked by General Arnold Brown to set up an international archives at IHQ, thus laying a sound foundation for the International Heritage Centre which came into being in 1988.
Whilst located at 101 Queen Victoria St, a conference room of the International Heritage Centre was dedicated to the memory of Lieut-Colonel Cyril Barnes, the founding father of Salvation Army archives, who, until his promotion to Glory in November 1996, did so much to preserve and communicate Salvation Army history.
- 1988 to the present
After 11 years at Judd Street, the Heritage Centre moved to Queen Victoria Street in August 1999, as part of a major redistribution of headquarters office space in London. Two years later we moved to our current temporary base at the William Booth Training College, Denmark Hill. It is hoped that we will soon be clearer as to what our long-term position is, with the hope that we will be able to re-open the museum and once again have a public space.
