The Spitfire

Icon. Legend. Saviour. These are just a few words that have been used to describe the Supermarine Spitfire in more than 80 years since its first flight in March 1936.

IWM holds approximately 11 million photographs in its archives, covering the causes, course and consequences of modern conflict from the First World War to the present day.

The Spitfire showcases 50 images from this unique collection, following the Supermarine Spitfire’s remarkable evolution over a decade of production, and featuring several rarely published photographs of the iconic aircraft. With its easily recognisable, aesthetically pleasing design and dominance as an exceptional fighting machine, the Spitfire has achieved near-mythical status in the public imagination, becoming a symbol of Britain and the Commonwealth’s resistance and eventual victory in the Second World War.