Kent Museum of the Moving Image (Kent MOMI)

What to see at Kent Museum of the Moving Image

The museum does not have a permanent collection and instead hosts three temporary exhibitions, each delving into aspects of film history. Current exhibitions include:

World War One on Film and in the Media: Representation & Remembrance, Art & Authenticity
This exhibition explores the portrayal of the First World War in cinema and other media. It delves into how films represented the war, its influence on cinematic techniques and the comparison of cinema with other media. Through various artefacts like posters, film clips, production photographs and original uniforms, the exhibition offers an insight into the intersection of film and historical remembrance. Visitors can also explore recreated settings like the British officers’ dugout and Comedy Corner, featuring Charlie Chaplin references.

Passport to Ealing: The Films and Their Posters, 1938–1958
Passport to Ealing: The Films and Their Posters, 1938–1958 is an exhibition that explores the convergence of factors that shaped British cinema and poster art during the Balcon era at Ealing Studios. Led by producer Michael Balcon, the studio aimed to showcase British identity globally and through talented filmmakers, a conducive studio environment and skilled artists, the studio contributed to this era’s unique visual storytelling. Ealing films flourished thanks to a temporary wartime break from American cinema dominance, offering distinct narratives on British screens.

35,000 Years to Catch a Shadow: A Reflective Exhibition
This exhibition delves into humanity’s enduring fascination with shadows. From ancient times to modernity, shadows have symbolised identity, consciousness and mortality and early cave drawings, Greek mythology and shadow puppets across cultures reflect our engagement with shadows. In the Enlightenment era, science and technology embraced shadows through silhouettes, photography and film. This exhibition explores the evolution of shadows in art, cinema, and human perception, inviting reflection on their significance in shaping cultural narratives and artistic expression throughout history.

Peeping v. Projecting: Victorian Super-Spectacle
By the late 18th century, advancements in perspective drawing, printing, and lens-making led to the invention of the peepshow, offering a private view of distant scenes like Venice or Canton. In contrast, dissolving views provided a public, shared experience, achieved by fading one projected image into another. Popularised by Henry Langdon Childe in 1827, these full-colour displays, often accompanied by music and sound effects, remained influential even into the early cinema era.

Visiting Kent Museum of the Moving Image

The museum is just a short walk from the centre of Deal and most points of interest in Deal are a short walk from here. It is only a four-minute walk to the railway station and a five-minute walk to the seashore and Deal Castle is a 10-minute walk away.

Kent MOMI is open Friday to Sunday year-round and admission is £7.

Visitor facilities include an on-site gift shop and cafe.

Allow 1–2 hours for your visit to the museum.