Charlie Chaplin exhibition opens in London today

This fantastic display marks an exciting collaboration between Jonathan Sands, the founder of the London Film Museum which opened in 2008; Leslie Hardcastle, creator of the late, great Museum of Moving Image and Chaplin biographer, David Robinson. Broken down into six separate sections, it neatly and evocatively brings to life this most remarkable of rags to riches tales.

The first, “A London boyhood” takes us back in time to poverty stricken Lambeth during Victorian times, a period of the Little Tramp’s life given meaning thanks to the excitement and energy of the music halls, in which his parents performed. The second, “A child of the theatre” sees Chaplin take to the stage himself, his formative years spent honing his performance talents with memorabilia relating to these bygone days.

The magic of cinema is felt with part three, “America and the movies” as Chaplin gets his first taste of life on the other side of the Atlantic and in front of the camera, while part four, “The Tramp” remembers the creation and impact of Chaplin’s most recognisable and famous character. Still enjoying life at the peak of his celebrity, part five, “Citizen of the world” sees Chaplin riding high on a wave of international fame and glory and his evolution into more satirical and provocative comedy with The Great Dictator. While the final section, “The happy exile” looks at life after Hollywood, his political leanings and the suspicion that dogged him as an alleged Communist sympathiser.

On this, the first formally curated exhibition for the Museum, collaborator David Robinson says: “We thought it was really interesting to stress that Chaplin was a London boy. The museum is bang in the middle of the territory where he grew up, with all the music halls where his parents came from and where he trained.”

The London Film Museum is based at County Hall on the South Bank and is open 10am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays, and 10am to 6pm on weekends. Admission to the Museum and the exhibition costs £12 for adults, making it a fun (and not too expensive) January day out. Chuckles guaranteed!

To find out more on the exhibition, hit here.

[via This is London]