Museum of the Moving Image (London)

The Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) was a super cool museum in London! It was all about the history of movies, TV, and how they were made. Imagine learning about how films started, from old-fashioned tricks to modern special effects!

MOMI opened its doors on September 15, 1988. Prince Charles, who is now King Charles III, helped open it. The museum was right by the River Thames in a busy area called the South Bank. It was run by the British Film Institute, which helps promote films in Britain.

Sadly, MOMI closed in 1999. At first, people thought it would open again somewhere else, but it never did. Its permanent closure was announced in 2002.

The MOMI logo.

This amazing ceiling in MOMI's animation area spun around! It was designed like an old invention called a Praxinoscope.

Exploring the World of Moving Images

MOMI was famous for its many exciting areas, called galleries. Each one showed a different part of how moving images came to be. Visitors could walk through time and see how movies and TV shows developed.

Journey Through Film History

Here are some of the cool things you could explore:

• Early Tricks: Learn about how people first "tricked the eye" with things like shadow puppets and early optical devices.
• Magic and Light: Discover the Phantasmagoria and Magic lanterns, which were like early projectors that showed spooky or fun images.
• Birth of Cinema: See how cinema truly began with pioneers like the Lumiere Brothers.
• Silent Stars: Step into the world of silent movies and learn about famous stars like Charlie Chaplin.
• Animation Fun: Explore how Animation works and see how cartoons come to life.
• TV's Arrival: Understand how television changed everything and how cinema tried to compete with it.
• Doctor Who Exhibit: There was even a special area dedicated to the popular TV show, Doctor Who!

MOMI showed many types of films, including surreal cinema.

Special Exhibitions at MOMI

MOMI also had temporary exhibitions that changed over time. These shows focused on specific topics or famous people in the world of film. Some of these special exhibits included:

• The amazing world of Jim Henson, who created the Muppets.
• A celebration of Charlie Chaplin's 100th birthday.
• Shows about special effects in movies.
• An exhibit on Ray Harryhausen and his fantastic creatures.
• A look at the history of Doctor Who called "Behind the Sofa."

MOMI's Building and Its Design

The museum itself was a unique building. It had glass sides and a steel frame, with red roofs that ran along Waterloo Bridge. It was designed by an architect named Bryan Avery.

What Happened After MOMI Closed?

Even though MOMI closed, its spirit lived on in different ways.

Moving Pictures Exhibition

For a short time in 2002, an exhibition called Moving Pictures opened in Sheffield. It was a smaller version of MOMI, using some of the museum's items and even actors to tell the story of moving images. However, this touring show didn't continue.

BFI Southbank Today

The place where MOMI used to be is now called BFI Southbank. It opened in 2007 and is still a very important place for film lovers. It has three cinemas that show movies from all over the world. There's also a library where you can watch British films and TV shows, and a bookshop. It's also home to the yearly London Film Festival.

A New Museum in Kent

In 2018, some of the original team members from MOMI, David Francis and Jocelyn Marsh, opened a new museum. It's called the Kent Museum of the Moving Image and is located in Deal, Kent. This new museum continues to share the magic of moving images with visitors.