This is a fixed route exhibition, only one route is available though the exhibition, with one short-cut toward the end. This is appropriate in the chronological nature of the way the exhibition story is told, and more sinisterly, in the nature of the subject itself, the complete controlling of one group of people by another.

This route is not direct however, it is made up by variety of room types of varying sizes. There are vistas beyond these confines in a few places but these are small apertures offering restricted views. In one area fencing has been used to allow viewing but restricting access [between Auschwitz and Rescue / Resistance / Hiding computer desk room. Floor 3/Floor 2]

There is a also a gradual progression through these rooms in terms of colour and lighting. What commences as relatively colourful, brightly lit and fairly open gallery [Red walls in Thousand seek refuge floor 3], changes to a series of darker rooms, in colour and light levels [Terror strikes Poland > Invasion of the soviet army > Mobile killing squads floor 2]. The final dark room in this sequence is spartan in its contents highlighting a landmark in the story the exhibition is telling [Mobile killing squads systematic persecution develops into systematic mass killing] This landmark room is half way through the exhibition [number 14 of 29 sections]. A large text panel relaying the persecutors description of events is difficult to read being made up of dark cutout text on a dark background in poor light. There appears to be a particular use of dark colours and white in some areas, but does not appear as simplistic as persecutor/victim. This large landmark room device is used again later [Auschwitz] to good effect, the large bright model and brief text and photos is here supplemented with a row of old wooden chairs, painted grey, each flanked with a loudspeaker unit relaying personal accounts of survivors arrival at the camp. Floor 3/Floor 2

External building materials have been chosen as wall surface treatments through the exhibition, these help to imply an impression of remoteness, as an outsider in a strange place. The brown and grey tiles, wooden panelling and structures form the basic language of the exhibition. Distorted glass and steel showcases are built in to the (sometimes) angled walls.

Sheet metal, which appears to be rusting, site specific graphic panels, cutout lettering, and TV monitors are placed to tell the story through the exhibition. The story is further illustrated with photographs, audio/visual presentations, documents, models and artifacts.

Authenticity questions have been raised in our viewing of this exhibition. When looking through this exhibition some exhibits have conspicuous labels saying the items have been cleaned and restored, thereby removing some authenticity? These labels were missing off most exhibits however, does this mean they are not authentic because they have not been conserved and are therefore not museum objects?, actually no, as credits on their acquisition are present, and are therefore authentic, if inconsistently presented.

I did not notice many signs of faking with the exception of the use of facsimile copies of some documents, along side apparent originals. I expect this has been done for reasons of conservation and preservation of the fragile originals. However these facsimiles have been displayed using the same display techniques as the originals [sheet documents are mounted on Perspex holders with pages held flat with plastic page holding tape] and therefore appear to carry the same kudos as the originals.

There are areas where 'set dressing' could have been used to convey the feeling of an exhibit with out the requirement for authenticity, i.e. The railway carriage in Deportation, the cart used to collect the dead in Warsaw ghetto [Ghettos]. It appears that authentic artifacts have been used however, the shoes on the Auschwitz shelves are credited as being from Auschwitz, yet not all the additional exhibits on the shelves are credited, are all exhibits in this area real? Or just inconsistently presented?

Where an object is not being exhibited for its own unique nature, but as supporting material for a larger story I can accept these objects as 'representative' of the material that may not be available, or impossible to display [i.e., reconstructing a dinosaur skeleton with bones from several sources / representation of the intact Rosetta stone as at the British Museum temporary exhibition Cracking codes, the Rosetta stone & decipherment. / taxidermy would not be possible with out modelling ] This should be done only where appropriate however, which is a much more difficult proviso to establish. Floor 3/Floor 2

There are a variety of uses of new media in this gallery. Several audio/video displays have been used in addition to audio commentaries. These have been used creatively in places, the large map wall with small inset LCD screens showing archival footage [Nazis dominated Europe]. All these uses are passive in nature, with the limited exception of liftable audio handsets.

Interactive exhibits have only been used in one gallery. In one of the last rooms [Rescue / Resistance / Hiding] a row of 'school desks' and benches each containing of a touch screen based interactive multimedia presentation providing additional information that the exhibition does not cover [Jewish historical background / Why the Allies did not bomb the camps / the range of groups persecuted etc.]. These displays themselves are very successful and provide a lot of information in a clear illustrated way. They cover information which is beyond the scope of the exhibition but pivotal to the further understanding of the subject. In use they would benefit from the addition of a sub menu to progress to the next chapter within a topic however.

They are a good way to dispense this additional info which would otherwise be unavailable within the gallery, the school desk theme seems to fit the learning aspect of these presentations, but is a little incongruous to the themes covered elsewhere in this section [Rescue / Resistance / Hiding]. The train track echoes of the Auschwitz room carried over in the rails of the desks helps to provide a focus in this disparate area, but would have been more appropriate in the Auschwitz section itself.

Opportunities for adding new media may have been to add an introductory AV presentation, background sound effects in some areas [Deportation / Outcasts], the sound of Jewish or Gypsy music in some areas [Ghettos]. Floor 3/Floor 2

There are times when the material is not as powerful as it could have been, there are too few images of the dead, the eyewitness stories are told by healthy elderly survivors, the sheer quantity of people killed is indicated in text form but not in a memorable visual way. Concerns of taste must be acute here, but also the necessity to be true to the subject matter. Any exhibition display can only go so far in informing of the subject, it has to be selective in what and how it chooses to display, these ingredients combine to give a fuller picture of the story, yet the story will be limited to suit the audience it is aimed at. As a national curriculum subject, this exhibition will be popular with visiting schools and the story may have suffered some compromise in the telling. It remains a powerful and informative exhibition however, and in my view, very successful.