Ian Kikuchi
curatorian.bsky.social
Ian Kikuchi
@curatorian.bsky.social
Historian & curator - history of war, conflict and IWM collections, with digressions into #judo and #videogames. 日本語を勉強している。Posts are personal views.
Pinned
Starting a thread (or possibly a thread of threads) to capture things I post from time to time.
Today in 1939 in France, Dominions Sec Anthony Eden lays flowers at the war memorial at Rancourt Cemetery on the Somme accompan'd by delegates inc Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan & Richard Casey #WW2 #History #filmcataloguing

Shot by Harry Rignold. Full film: IWM AYY 7-2 / www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
November 12, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Reposted by Ian Kikuchi
Always amazed at the amount of research that can be done entirely online these days. A thread: 🧵

I was looking at a piece of digitised archive film (IWM AYY / www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...) which includes these shots showing a ship transporting British soldiers to France in 1939:
November 11, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Always amazed at the amount of research that can be done entirely online these days. A thread: 🧵

I was looking at a piece of digitised archive film (IWM AYY / www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...) which includes these shots showing a ship transporting British soldiers to France in 1939:
November 11, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Everyone seems to be talking about #Bond, so here's my contribution to the Discourse; a cool and dangerous little gadget.
Came across this the other day, thought the #scalemodel -ers who follow me might enjoy. November 1946 - Sapper J Bond of the Royal Engineers shows off a remote-controlled model Churchill tank he's built. The model has working gears and can even fire live .22-calibre round from its gun barrel.
November 11, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Reposted by Ian Kikuchi
Today in 1918, at 9:30 am, 2nd Lt Paterson sends this message to the company commanders of the Artist's Rifles, a British infantry battalion on the frontline. 'Hostilities will cease at 11am today. Form up and march back...at once. Do not forget to bring the cookers with you' #ArmisticeDay #WW1 #FWW
November 11, 2024 at 9:23 AM
Reposted by Ian Kikuchi
Saw this thread from Jamie and was reminded of this sequence - a Warwick Mk I does a bit of camera plane tail-chasing against the setting sun in this footage from the RAF Film Production Unit, filmed in 1944.

Film: IWM ARY 7-34 (excerpt) / www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
November 10, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Saw this thread from Jamie and was reminded of this sequence - a Warwick Mk I does a bit of camera plane tail-chasing against the setting sun in this footage from the RAF Film Production Unit, filmed in 1944.

Film: IWM ARY 7-34 (excerpt) / www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
November 10, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Eye very much caught by this photo. Coincidentally a reminder why accessible gallery design really matters.
A terminal patient contemplates Rembrandt paintings at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, one final time. March 2015.
Photo credit: St. Ambulance Wens.
November 9, 2025 at 7:34 PM
I've been assisting in a small way with this exhibition, so it's good to see this preview. Can't wait to see the show when it's ready.

www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
Groundbreaking British Museum show set to challenge samurai myths
Exclusive: Exhibition will reveal complex reality, featuring women and artistic creations, beyond armour-clad warriors
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Won't be observing the two-minute silence for #RemembranceSunday due to life happening, but it's on my mind.
November 9, 2025 at 10:54 AM
How utterly grim.
Two panels commemorating the contribution of Black American soldiers towards the liberation of the Netherlands in World War Two have been quietly removed from a cemetery in Limburg. It follows a complaint by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
nrc.nl NRC @nrc.nl · 4d
Op Margraten zijn twee panelen over zwarte Amerikaanse bevrijders van Nederland opeens weg. ‘Past bij beleid van de regering-Trump’
November 9, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Just going to amuse myself with this for a bit.
November 8, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Ian Kikuchi
November 7, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Reposted by Ian Kikuchi
Joe Marler vs Gravity <3 #CelebrityTraitors
November 6, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Joe Marler coming to the roundtable lookin like Bane from The Dark Knight Rises. #CelebrityTraitors
a man is wearing a mask and holding a gun
ALT: a man is wearing a mask and holding a gun
media.tenor.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:35 PM
People are taking the piss out of this, but I was intrigued by the Polish marking. Turns out it's an acknowledgment by the local community of three Polish squadrons who flew from a local RAF base, 22 of whom died in service and 6 of whom are buried locally. I think the mockery is uncalled for.
www.yoursouthport.com/blog/life-si...

In Flanders Fields, the crochet grows...

The "sip...bloody hell" meme isn't strong enough here.
November 6, 2025 at 10:45 AM
It's actually simpler than this:

Q: Would an ignorant journalist refer to you as 'dusty'?

[YES]

A: You're an archive.
Hoping this helps our colleagues across the industry
November 5, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Fireworks night. Distant thumps like the T-rex footsteps in Jurassic Park.
two cups of water are on a table in the dark
ALT: two cups of water are on a table in the dark
media.tenor.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:21 PM
As one of my friends will shortly be fighting in the IJF Veterans World Championships, a bit of #judo spam.

www.youtube.com/shorts/OFFuR...
Veterans following the gentle way! 🥋
YouTube video by International Judo Federation
www.youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Reposted by Ian Kikuchi
BL & GDP in FT
November 5, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Today in 1939, during the 'Phoney War' period of the Second World War, two British soldiers pay their respects to a casualty of the First World War, at an Imperial War Graves Commission cemetery in France. #WW2 #WW1 #History

Photo: Geoffrey Keating IWM O 207 / www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
November 5, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Send him the bill for flags already removed.

'A man who put up more than 100 flags around a North Yorkshire market town has been told he will be charged a £38 removal fee per flag if he puts up any more.'
Man putting up more than 100 flags told he will be charged for each one removed
A man who put up more than 100 flags around a North Yorkshire market town has been told he will be charged a £38 removal fee per flag if he puts up…
www.yorkpress.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Petition for James to post one of these every hour, until, say, Christmas.
Some cheerful Kurdish rugs
November 4, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Frankly astonished he lived that long.
November 4, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Today in 1939 British and French army officers (and a few local children) watch a demonstration by French SOMUA S35 tanks, probably near Dieppe, in footage recently digitised by the Imperial War Museum.

#filmcataloguing #history #OTD #WW2

Full film: IWM AYY 5-5 / www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
November 4, 2025 at 7:31 AM