The National Army Museum is a leading authority on the British Army and its impact on society past and present.  We examine the army’s role as protector, aggressor and peacekeeper from the British Civil Wars to the modern day. Through our collections we preserve and share stories of ordinary people with extraordinary responsibilities. We explore the role of the army and its relevance today. We showcase the breadth and depth of our collections across five thematic galleries in new and engaging ways. We explore thoughts and ideas as well as real stories of real people, and we challenge the way people think about the British Army and their relationship with it. The art collection chronicles the army’s presence both at home and across the globe and includes some of the earliest sketches of many locations around the world, such as an important drawing of Niagara Falls from 1762. The museum’s relatively small collection of oil paintings nevertheless contains a number of works by some of Britain’s greatest artists dating from 1630 to the present day. In addition, the museum holds the primary collection of art drawn by British and Commonwealth soldiers on active service.