I suppose this could also be in GQ, but it is arts/entertainment related, so I’ve stuck it here.
Years ago (1999), when I visited London for the first time, I was all set to go visit the MOMI, only to find it was closed for “refurbishment”. Well, it’s now 2004, and the British Film Institute doesn’t even have a listing on their webpage for the MOMI. Does anyone know if there are any plans to reopen the museum? It would be a shame for it to be closed forever. I got the impression that it was quite popular and well-done.
On a related note, are there any similar museums elsewhere in the UK?
It was brilliant. Easily the most fun I ever had in London, and I went a good many years ago, about 1992 I think. I may be wildly wrong about the year.
Sadly I believe it is gone for good. I have absolutely no evidence for that, just some bloke on another message board, a while ago.
That’s terrible. You know, there has never been a book written on British silent move stars? There are scores of such books on US silent stars, but not one on British. I thought you Brits had more of a sense of history!
Ross is correct. Here’s more detail. The BFI/NFTVA has been going through some serious financial problems recently, and with the overhead expenses on the South Bank and dwindling attendance, it was one of the first things to get the block. IIRC, they did a traveling exhibition on the island of some of the artifacts for a while, and the NFT is still open, fwiw.
A shame–it was a fantastic museum, and nothing I’ve seen in the US can compare to its through and comprehensive nature.
And Eve, here’s one book that sort of applies. I’m actually more shocked that a bio of Betty Balfour (think Clara Bow, but more popular in the UK) doesn’t exist. However, I’ve seen enough British silents not to be too worked up about the rest of them.
I have a friend–an editor at Constable-Robinson, in London–who is working on a book about British silent film stars, thank goodness. It’ll be a few years in the works, though. He’s also working on a book about the Dolly Sisters, which–despite much pleading from me–he refuses to title *Valley of the Dollies. *
