National Maritime Museum collections blog

The revamped Collections website

2012-01-03T16:45:09Z

There have been a number of major changes at the National Maritime Museum in the last few months - some physical, with new buildings and infrastructure as part of the Sammy Ofer Wing and new galleries, and some virtual, with new websites and gallery interactives. The changes to the Collections website are significant. We launched this as part of the new wing in July and have been running it as a live beta. It has a vastly improved visual interface, driven by a desire to make it easier to experience some of the amazing works of art, objects and records we have. We've improved the search behind the scenes so that we can hopefully get you to the right object or record you are looking for quickly. We also hope it directs you to related content and lets you see how the object is part of other exhibitions, personal collections, themes or related publications. We now have more than 250,000 records available and will continue to release more. This means making content available where we don't have full records. All of the research showed that doing this was the priority, even if we had some gaps in our knowledge. Help improve our records This is where we hope you can come in. If you have information that you feel is important or key to a record then we would be very glad to hear from you. Each record now has a 'Share your knowledge' feature, where you can contact us and help improve the information we have. We have already had a significant number of records updated, and these records now feature a credit to the person who has helped us. Other important features are the ability to save searches, create your own collections, download images and add tags. We hope that the ability to share and add collections to your own websites and social networks will also prove useful. Opening up our data One of the primary reasons for changing the collection website was to enable the data to be used in more flexible ways, both by the Museum and by software/application developers. Providing our content with an API (Application Programming Interface) means that other people can use our data and find new contexts for our content - whether that is another museum, university, public body or just someone with a good idea and some understanding of developing web services. We're using it to help do new things in the Museum's galleries and to bring you more of our vast collection. The new site is helping us discover parts of the collection that were perhaps a little hidden before. We have switched over to the the new site permanently now and hope it works for you too. We are making lots of changes as we go and we're always looking for feedback, so do let us know your thoughts.

'A Gallant Rescue' - overdue light on a legend of the old Navy (Updated, October 2011)

2011-10-11T08:20:11Z

HMS Endymion rescuing a French two-decker, 1803-05 (BHC0532) This painting went on public display at the Museum in July 2011, for the first time in many years. What follows is a revision of the note posted here at that time, including updated details on the artist and his family kindly supplied by his great-great-granddaughter Sylvia Steer. I am grateful to her for making contact on the matter in September 2011 and also to Anthony Colls and to Jennifer Dunne. The painter is the so-far little-documented Ebenezer Colls and the picture itself has until recently been something of a mystery. We have long known it relates to another version of the same incident by J. C. Schetky, though who was copying whom, and when, has been uncertain. Moreover, about twenty years ago and quite by chance, I came across another version at Grimsby by Nicholas Pocock, which must have been painted much earlier since he died in 1821. The uncertainties about how all three related have now proved fairly easy to resolve though not quite as tidily as first seemed the case.

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In 1871 the well-known naval and marine artist, John Christian Schetky (1778 - 1874) exhibited an almost identical picture of this subject at the Royal Academy under the title 'A gallant rescue; naval incident of the French war' with a brief description of it. It roused considerable interest for reasons explained below, and was immediately purchased for 100 guineas by Admiral Sir James Hope, who presented it to the United Service Club as soon as it came off the Academy walls. In 1891 it was re-shown in the great Royal Naval Exhibition at Chelsea (no. 620), with a longer catalogue text. This had been put together by Hope in discussion with Schetky for the picture's presentation to the Club, and in 1893 was also quoted in full in Sir John Knox Laughton's original 'Dictionary of National Biography' on Endymion's captain: 'Towards the close of the long French war, Captain the Hon. Sir Charles Paget, while cruising in the Endymion frigate on the coast of Spain, descried a French ship of the line in imminent danger, embayed among rocks upon a lee shore, bowsprit and foremast gone, and riding by a stream cable, her only remaining one. Though it was blowing a gale, Sir Charles bore down to the assistance of his enemy, dropped his sheet anchor on the Frenchman's bow, buoyed the cable, and veered it athwart his hawse. This the disabled ship succeeded in getting in, and thus seven hundred lives were rescued from destruction. After performing this chivalrous action, the Endymion, being herself in great peril, hauled to the wind, let go her bower anchor, club-hauled and stood off shore on the other tack.' The 1871 RA catalogue description adds that Endymion's crew gave 'three British cheers' as they left the scene and that the ship dropped her starboard bower anchor to club-haul, a risky emergency manoeuvre in which the leeward anchor, with a spring (hawser) led astern, is dropped as the ship comes up into the wind: the vessel is then allowed to 'reverse' briefly onto the spring, pulling her stern quickly round to make sail on the opposite tack. The cable and spring have to be cut away and the anchor is usually lost, unless buoyed for later recovery: 'Clubhauling was only resorted to as a measure of desperation in very bad weather, when embayed on a lee shore without room to wear [i.e., 'gybe' with the wind astern], and where there was no prospect that the vessel could tack successfully because of the sea breaking on the weather bow' (John Harland, 'Seamanship in the age of sail' [1984], p. 195) The exhibition of Schetky's picture in 1871 caused some public debate. For while Paget (1778-1839) commanded the Endymion from April 1803 to April 1805 he did not do so towards the end of the French wars (1793-1815) and nothing of this nature is recorded in his log, which was quickly checked at the time. If the incident happened, he may have omitted it for good reason in terms of the risk he took in hazarding his ship and the lives of his own men, albeit the seamanship involved is a testament to his confidence in them. He could not, however, have prevented it from entering naval lore by word of mouth. Laughton - one of the leading naval historians of his time - nevertheless dismissed it as 'improbable' in his 1893 DNB entry. There things rested until 1913, when the Revd Edward Paget, Dean of Calgary, Canada, and Sir Charles's grandson, published a 'Memoir' of him in which he devoted a chapter to 'A Gallant Rescue'.* This testimony appears so far to have been overlooked. Edward Paget reports the story was well known in the family, originally from Sir Charles himself and that Schetky (according to the latter's sisters) also heard it from him directly, since they were contemporaries and knew each other well. He was also not the first to depict it: for in 1807, Sir Charles had commissioned a previous picture of it from Nicholas Pocock (1740 - 1821). By 1913 this had descended to Edward and, though not now well-known, appeared (when this piece was first written) to be the one today in the local art collection at Grimsby. There is, however, a snag. For while the Pagets certainly had such a picture, it appears to have been another version since, if the Grimsby records are correct, theirs was presented in 1871 by the Earl of Yarborough: he was High Steward of Grimsby but had no personal connection with the Pagets as far as can be seen. That would mean the Grimsby canvas cannot be the one inherited by Edward Paget and used to illustrate his 1913 'Memoir'. The only clue to an alternative source of the (B&W) illustration there is its apparent tone: that is, it looks lighter than the dark and stormy Grimsby oil, which might suggest that it was a watercolour version, for example. The original, whatever it was, in due course passed to Sir Charles's fourth daughter Georgina who in 1841 married Captain William Henry Kennedy (d.1864) and on her death in 1901 to Edward Paget, her nephew. It must presumably have been this one, which he knew when owned by Georgina Kennedy, that Schetky based his oil. One of Schetky's sisters later told Edward that this was painted about 1866, though only exhibited in 1871. The 'Memoir' further confirms that the description, quoted above, was written by Hope and that the misleading dating of the incident to the end of the French wars was probably a slip of memory. Also that Sir Charles - who had other risky manoeuvres to his name - had not reported it officially since contrary to his specific instructions to destroy enemy shipping, let alone more general regulations. Edward also recalled his father's report that Sir Charles's particular worry in not doing so was how otherwise to account to the Admiralty for Endymion's loss of the two anchors involved. He nevertheless had Pocock - the leading marine painter of his day - depict the episode for him, in one or more versions. Laughton, by 1913, had also told Edward that he did not know of Pocock's painting -or, presumably, the family tradition - when he wrote Sir Charles's DNB entry some 20 years earlier. Edward himself made some enquiry to see if the French ship could be identified, though this got nowhere, and reproduced all the relevant albeit largely circumstantial evidence he had gathered on the truth of the incident. In sum, there is no reasonable doubt that it happened, though exactly when in the 1803-05 period, where on the northern Spanish coast, and which French warship was involved remain unknown. The remaining questions are therefore, first, what was the presumed second version of the Pocock (i.e. oil or watercolour) which remained in the Paget family until at least 1913; and, second, where is it now? One would have thought that Sir Charles would have commissioned an oil - and it may indeed still be that at Grimsby, if it was disposed of before 1871. If so, his family appear to have had another and now unlocated version, possibly in watercolour, for much longer. It is that one which Edward Paget later had on his walls in Canada when he wrote the 1913 'Memoir', and he may himself not have realized that there were perhaps two versions. Though not conclusive, this is the most probable explanation to fit the currently available facts. Colls's picture is the same general composition as both the Pocock and Schetky versions and it is safe to assume it is based on the latter, following its exhibition at the RA in 1871. It is, however, one of a same-size pair of which the other (BHC0482) shows the start of the action in which the Indefatigable and Amazon drove the French Droits de l'Homme onto the Brittany coast in 1797, in equally stormy conditions. Colls copied this from a print of a painting by W.J. Huggins and until the 1980s the present picture was itself mistakenly thought to show the end of the same episode. All of the Endymion pictures show her on the port tack as she prepares to drop her sheet anchor for the French two-decker, before bearing up into the wind, club-hauling at the cost of losing her starboard bower anchor, and clawing offshore on the starboard tack. The Schetky version remains in the former United Service Club building, London, now headquarters of the Institute of Directors. Destruction of the Droits de l'Homme, 13 January 1797 (BHC0482) Charles Paget was fifth son of the first Earl of Uxbridge and entered the Navy in 1790. Well-connected and competent he rose rapidly and had early success as a frigate captain. In 1804, in the Endymion, he became rich from his share in the capture of four Spanish treasure ships. After other commands as a captain and rear-admiral, he was promoted vice-admiral in January 1837 and posted to command the North America and West Indies station. He died of yellow fever in 1839, at St Thomas, Jamaica. Colls was a marine painter who exhibited pictures at the British Institution, 1852-54, from an address in Camden Town but practised for a longer period. His work is competent and attractive, and he was certainly prolific since examples regularly appear on the market. His dates were not known until about 2004 when a genealogical web posting stated that he was born in 1812 at Horstead, Norfolk, (on the outskirts of Coltishall), into a family with a local history as owners of water mills. His grandfather was John Colls, miller and farmer, who with H. P. Watts rebuilt Horstead Mill in 1789, was its part owner until 1797, and died in 1806. He had a son, Richard, who became a flour merchant for the family product in London. The latter's eldest child, also Richard (1802-80) was a still-life painter and photographer; Ebenezer - born on 1 July 1812 - was fourth child and second son and the sixth child and youngest boy was Lebbeus (1818-97) who became a Bond Street picture dealer and gallery owner. Ebenezer was both a picture dealer and an artist. How his artistic career began is unclear but he initially went to sea as a midshipman in the East India Company, which explains where he gained knowledge of ships. He made three eastern voyages, first in the Indiaman Rose (955 tons) from May 1828 and then two more in the larger Edinburgh (1326 tons) from March 1830 and May 1832 respectively. After leaving the sea he apparently made regular summer visits to the Channel Islands to sketch, and also along the south coast and to the naval ports. In January 1841 in the Thanet area (in or near Ramsgate) he married Harriet Beal and they had four daughters and three sons who figure in the St Pancras, London, census returns of 1851 - 81: Richard, the eldest son (1844-1920), became a bookseller. Walter (1857-1938) became a clerk and Henry (1847-83) also a bookseller and later hotel keeper in Brighton, though not a successful one since he eventually went bankrupt. Ebenezer's eldest child, Harriet (1842-88), initially taught music and Sarah (1846- 1919) became an accountant and later ran a private school in Hampstead. The third and fourth daughters were Isabella (1849-85) and Florence (b.1865). In the 1851 census Ebenezer's profession is given as 'picture dealer'; in that of 1861 'marine painter'; in 1871 he was living on ' "Dividends" ' (with the landscape painter, Edmund Gell, a boarder in his house) and in 1881 he is again called 'artist'. His final address from before 1871 was 79 King Henry's Road, Regent's Park, and he died there aged 75 on 23 September 1887 ('Morning Post', 28 September). His widow died at the same address on 2 December 1916, her age being given as 94, which suggests birth in 1822 though she was only baptized at St Laurence, Thanet, on 25 December 1825. A significant correction in this revised note is that the marine painter Harry Colls (1856- c.1908), and his brother Walter Lebbeus Colls (1860-1942), engraver and photographer, both of whom had successful artistic careers, were not Ebenezer's children but his nephews, sons of his brother Lebbeus, who had seven children in all. (* Edward Paget's Memoir of the Hon 'ble Sir Charles Paget... was originally privately printed in Toronto in 1911, with his own autobiographical reminiscences appended. The 1913 London edition omitted most of these and included further information, especially on the matter of the 'Gallant Rescue', from further information he gathered on a visit to England in 1912.)

Celebrating the submarine telegraph cable in 1858

2011-09-27T11:17:55Z

In August 1858, Britain and the United States of America were united by a submarine telegraph cable that spanned the Atlantic. The news of this great achievement was met in the cities of America with parades, fireworks and parties. New York was the centre of the festivities and saw military and civic processions, including a torchlight parade by the Firemen, a spectacle so brilliant it was depicted in this engraving created to celebrate the new cable uniting the Old and New Worlds.

This image depicts a very American affair, not just because the American firemen are centre stage, but also because it depicts several American men as pillars of the achievement. You can see Benjamin Franklin, pioneer of the use of electricity; Samuel Morse, whose Morse Code was used to communicate on the telegraph line; Cyrus Field, founder of the New York, Newfoundland and London Electric Telegraph Company and Captain Hudson of the US warship Niagara, one of the steamships used to lay the cable. It's clear that these men did all have a role to play leading up to and during the 1858 laying, but the cable itself was predominately funded by Liverpool merchants and went through Ireland and Canada, strongholds of the British Empire. Consequently this image may not portray an accurate image of the relationship between America and Britain in laying the cable, but it does show who celebrated it the most and the ideals they associated with it. This is just an example of the types of objects created to commemorate this great achievement of scientific and engineering ingenuity, and within the National Maritime Museum's collection there are many other clues as to how people celebrated and commemorated the laying of the submarine telegraph cables. The Museum has many sections of submarine cable from a variety of telegraph lines, including some apparently from the 1858 Atlantic laying. It is not clear, however, whether any of these were sold as souvenirs - rather, they appear to have come from personal collections of people directly related to the cable industry. But from contemporary sources we do know that sections of cable were set in gold and sold as 'charms' in England, advertised in newspapers like the Illustrated London News and The Times. Furthermore, in America the company, Tiffany, spotted an opportunity and bought the surplus cable from the laying company, cutting it into small sections and mounting it with brass ferules. These were engraved with the Tiffany name and sold for fifty cents each.

As well as sections of cable, Tiffany also made commemorative medals like this one, although these don't appear to have been on general sale, but were commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce of New York to give to individuals who had had a role in the laying of the cable. It's a good reminder of the central role of business and trade in this venture. Unfortunately the 1858 Atlantic cable's success was short-lived, and by mid-September it had stopped working completely, leaving many of these souvenirs redundant and rumours that the Atlantic cable had all been part of an elaborate hoax. The failure of the cable resulted in lost fortunes and a government enquiry that meant the next attempt at laying a submarine telegraph across the Atlantic wasn't made until nearly a decade later. But with the added glamour of the largest steamship in the world, the Great Eastern as the cable-laying ship, souvenirs for the 1866 Atlantic cable exploded onto the market, including a few that remembered the 1858 cable. One jug, for example, shows both the HMS Agamemnon, one of the ships involved in the 1858 cable-laying, along with the Great Eastern, the much celebrated vessel that helped make the 1866 laying a success.

Despite the 1858 failure, the feat of laying a cable across such a vast body of water was successful in capturing the public imagination, resulting in many souvenirs, books and artworks of the 1866 Atlantic cable. Some other examples can be seen in this NMM Library blog.

'They live by Trade': Britain's global trade in the great days of sail

2011-08-17T08:11:41Z

Britain's history has been fundamentally shaped by its relationship with the sea - you won't find too many people here at the National Maritime Museum disagreeing with that statement! Sometimes, when we are particularly enthusiastic, we might even say that 'boats built Britain' - the title of a recent exhibition here in Greenwich. Of course, this naturally begs the question: what did these boats help to build? Or, to put it another way, what type of British state emerged as a result of the maritime activity facilitated by the boats, ships and other vessels of the great Age of Sail? These are some of the questions that I am currently grappling with as I prepare to give a lecture at Gresham College, in the heart of the City of London, on the subject of 'Britain's global trade in the great days of sail'. The possibilities and profits offered by maritime trade were crucial in defining the country's development as a global power in the Age of Sail. In this lecture, I will be exploring how British overseas trade went hand in hand with Britain's global empire in those eighteenth- and nineteenth-centuries days of the sailing ship. Preparing a lecture like this is quite a task. In the space of about fifty minutes, it will cover events in several oceans; a couple of centuries of history; thousands of vessels; tens of thousands of voyages; and millions of people. But it is a fascinating subject and one which I hope can add to the exciting programme of events being organised by Gresham College. Founded in 1597, Gresham College is London's oldest Higher Education Institution and has provided free public talks for over 400 years. You can find out more about the range of events there on its website. Halfpenny token obverse and reverse (MEC2033)

Warship Histories - we want your help!

2011-08-12T10:59:34Z

The National Maritime Museum holds information about more than 20,000 Royal Navy warships from circa 1500 to 1950 and is now making this data available through the Warship Histories Project. This project involves the NMM partnering with Wikipedia to enhance our records as well as theirs in order to produce more accurate records for everyone. This is where we need you help! Our data was compiled by a variety of people here at the Museum over many years and as a result is incomplete. We are asking for help to look at our data and improve or even create records for these vessels on Wikipedia which we will then use to improve our records and help people search our collections by vessels that they are related to. We recognise how knowledgeable our audience are and we want to take full advantage of that fact. Please visit our project page to find out more about how you can contribute.

Swanning About on the Thames!

2011-07-21T09:50:27Z

July is not a popular month with swans on the river Thames! Every year in the third week, men take to the river in traditional wooden skiffs, dressed in colourful garb and feather-adorned caps, to track down and pluck from the water these familiar British birds. Although this had a more sinister purpose in days gone by - to lay claim to the best birds to serve for dinner at grand banquets - today it is a more sedate and less-threatening affair. One of Her Majesty's Swan Upping skiffs flying her Royal cypher For this is Swan Upping week: the annual census of mute swans that inhabit the Thames. I joined the Swan Uppers on the second day of this year's event accompanied by cameraman Raj Yagnik to capture the ceremony for next year's special exhibition Royal River: Power, Pageantry and the Thames (April-September 2012) in which we will feature this ancient and peculiar rite. The event was led by David Barber, in his 19th year as The Queen's Swan Marker, whose scarlet and gold blazer brightened up a gloomy morning at Eton riverside. David Barber, Marker of The Queen's Swans, being interviewed on board the press boat Dating back to at least the 15th century, Swan Upping in the past was about claiming the right to own swans on the river. The ownership of unmarked swans belonged to the monarch, who could also grant the right of ownership to others. Some aristocratic families, institutions and guilds were given these rights which were asserted at Swan Upping when the swans would be rounded up and marked with unique notches cut into their beaks. Today, the cutting of beaks has ceased - Queen Alexandra worried about the unnecessary pain and distress it caused - and only two City Livery Companies, the Vintners' and Dyers', maintain their right to own swans, alongside Her Majesty the Queen. At this time of the year the companies come together with the Crown, crewing six skiffs between them, to make the 79-mile journey between Sunbury in Surrey and Abingdon in Oxfordshire searching for the season's new cygnets... Much of my morning Swan Upping was spent in the press boat taking a leisurely journey up the Thames, admiring the quirky spectacle and taking in the beauty of a river which it is hard to believe passes through one of the busiest cities in the world. Meanwhile the Swan Uppers alongside us were rowing at a reasonable pace while keeping their eyes peeled for young swans. After turning a bend in the river one of the watermen cried 'All Up', and sure enough a group of swans - two parent birds and six cygnets - were spotted greedily devouring bread being offered by day-trippers on the bank. Swan Upping was once described to me as 'all feathers and blood' so as the men sprang into action, corralling the group between the skiffs and the bank, I expected much hissing of tongues, gnashing of beaks and beady eyes filled with terror. Swan Upping skiffs corralling the swans against the bank On this occasion though, the fearsome swan crooks for hooking the birds from the water (think fishing for ducks at the fairground) were not needed and the swans were relatively easily lifted from the water with little distress, few feathers and absolutely no blood shed - by swan or Swan Upper! The feet of each bird were tied to demobilize them and then they were taken ashore for ringing (which replaces beak-cutting). The cygnets were the cutest things - grey fluff and stubby wings (no ugly ducklings, Hans Christian Andersen) - and were anxiously watched by their parents (also taken from the water) as they were weighed and measured, under the direction of The Queen's Warden of the Swans, Professor Christopher Perrins. After meeting the locals, the swans were returned to the water and the band of Swan Uppers went on its way. Professor Perrins, The Queen's Swan Warden, measuring this year's cygnets, with David Barber explaining the process in the foreground We saw very few swans in this session; apparently swans on the Thames have a more fearsome adversary this year than the men in colourful coats. Duck Virus Enteritis or 'Duck Plague' has struck mute swans on the Thames and is having a significant effect on their numbers. At times like this you realise that the work of the Swan Uppers is not just about tradition and show; they fulfil a valuable conservation, education and welfare role which will help us to understand the spread and impact of this dreadful disease and to hopefully confirm the recovery of the population of these iconic birds on the river Thames.

Nelson's Trafalgar Uniform

2011-07-01T11:40:18Z

The orders have now been stitched back onto the coat and the collar has been treated in the same way as the other sections of lining and has been stitched back into the uniform.

Collar before and after treatment

A purpose made conservation quality mannequin was ordered for the display of the uniform, this was covered with silk and cotton and lightly padded to insure it provides good support for the uniform while on display.

Mannequin with padding in place

To help manage the effects of long term display of this object we were keen to find a way of checking if any light damage has already happened to the coat and then use its present condition as a baseline for monitoring it in the future. We were very pleased to be able to link up with the Conservation Science Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum and our own Photographic Department who have been able to provide the equipment and expertise to enable us to do this. The equipment was used to take readings from uncovered areas of the coat that have had most exposure to light in the past and to compare them with covered areas such as under the lapels and on the inside of the coat. Analysis of the data will give an indication of the degree of fading, if any, that has taken place over the years of display and help to ensure that future display will not be causing damage. It has been a fascinating conservation project to work on with many challenging aspects to it, The uniform has now been given a new lease of life which will help preserve it for future generations. After surface cleaning and mounting on its new mannequin the uniform is now back on display in National Maritime Museum Galleries.

The uniform returning to display

Conserving Nelson: Treatment complete

2011-06-30T08:42:38Z

Conserving Nelson: Treatment complete from National Maritime Museum on Vimeo.

Conserving the H3 Timekeeper

2011-06-28T10:02:05Z

H3 has returned to public display after a thorough cleaning and cataloguing. This video captures Jonathan's feeling about the project as well as the timekeepers move back into its showcase.

Conserving the H3 Timekeeper part 6 from Royal Observatory Greenwich on Vimeo.

The Heritage Lottery Fund funded Conservation Skills Initiative is underway at the NMM

2011-06-10T11:46:45Z

The Conservation Skills Initiative (CSI) has been created to give recently graduated conservation students or those from the crafts field with a keen interest in conservation, experience working with skilled conservators on significant objects of the nation's heritage at the National Maritime Museum's Conservation Department. The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund's Skills for the Future programme. The main purpose of this stream of funding is to 'support organisations across the UK to create new opportunities for work-based training in the heritage sector.' Linda Brothwell, our first metals intern under the HLF funded Conservation Skills Initiative programme. The grant enables us to pay interns to undertake a year-long experience within the department, where they will have the opportunity to work with Senior Conservators in either metals or textile conservation. The project will deliver six one-year internships over a four-year period - four in metals and two in textile conservation. The interns would be expected to work on objects exhibiting complex conservation issues that will stretch the individual while, at the same time, taking part in the daily routine of the studios. Part of the internship will also encompass a two-week period working with the Preventive Conservator to gain a basic understanding of the impact of the environment on the long-term stability of objects. The textile interns will be given an unparalleled opportunity to improve and develop their textile conservation skills. The interns will be working on a range of objects that are required for the Museum's public programme. These will include small flags requiring stitched support leading to more complex degraded flags needing adhesive support, printed and embroidered textiles which will need treatment and mounting on fabric covered boards, uniforms requiring simple support of areas of minor loss leading to more complex support of silk linings before being mounted for display, and accessories such as hats and sword belts to be treated and mounted. The metal interns will have similarly unique opportunities to gain a solid understanding of basic metal working skills and develop conservation expertise of fine metal objects. The metal conservation studio at the NMM has excellent facilities including a well equipped metal machine workshop. The interns will be working on historic edged weapons beginning with dirks and leading on to full swords with high decoration; medals from the plain to the very detailed; and scientific instruments starting with simple terrestrial telescopes and progressing to more complex engineering models. Detail of metal gilt locket on the scabbard (WPN1284) prior to conservation showing the extent of tarnishing and corrosion. The sources of the intern's objects will come from the Museum's programme of gallery redisplay, new galleries, temporary exhibitions, loans in and out, and routine maintenance of the museum's displayed objects At time of writing our first intern - Linda Brothwell - has joined the metal section and has very quickly settled in amongst the edged weapons, sextants and binnacles. This programme helps to fill a critical gap in current conservation training and is generating tremendous interest from students as well as institutions. HLF is to be congratulated for this far-sighted funding.

Conserving the H3 Timekeeper

2011-06-02T15:27:45Z

Conserving the H3 Timekeeper part 5 from Royal Observatory Greenwich on Vimeo.

Conserving the H3 Timekeeper

2011-05-20T08:42:49Z

Conserving the H3 Timekeeper part 4 from Royal Observatory Greenwich on Vimeo.

The timekeeper is now completely dismantled, but the job is not over yet for Jonathan. The case is keeping him busy and presenting surprises as well.

Conserving Nelson: Stitching and orders

2011-05-13T15:07:59Z

Conserving Nelson: Stitching and Orders from National Maritime Museum on Vimeo.

Catch up with what has been happening behind the scenes at the National Maritime Museum to Nelson's Trafalgar uniform.

Nelson's uniform conservation update

2011-05-06T14:58:45Z

Nelson's coat with lining The work is almost complete on Nelson's Trafalgar coat. The silk lining has been secured to its supporting fabric, trimmed to size and is now being reattached to the inside of the coat. Silk lining with supporting fabric Finally, the orders will need to be stabilised and then reattached. The results are very pleasing - the silk is securely supported and it drapes much more naturally. Orders on the coat before treatment

The H3 case

2011-04-20T08:58:52Z

As part of a large cataloguing project to research all the NMM's marine chronometers, I am currenmtly undertaking a close study of Harrison's third marine timekeeper, H3 (made during the 1740s). It is proving hugely interesting and revealing as can be seen in the videos which have been tracking my progress. Marine timekeeper, H3 (ZAA0036) The aspect I'm studying at the moment is the extraordinary (at least to me) glazed brass case of the instrument, and I'm wondering about 18th century 'instrumental' practice where glazed cases are concerned? The case (which the timekeeper fits in very closely indeed and which stands just over 60cms high) has a 'top', a middle band (attached to the timekeeper) and a 'bottom', the three parts held together round the middle with 32 screws. The whole thing is incredibly beautifully made, using cabinet-making techniques, and consists of precisely 501 parts, all fitted together mechanically, with no solder anywhere. The brass panels are just 2mm thick and the four main vertical edges are dovetailed (yes!) all the way from top to bottom with a total of 174 tiny dovetails rather in the way that coppersmiths tie plates together before soldering, but much finer and without solder. The dovetails are so well cut the vast majority cannot be seen, but I show a patch where corrosion and stress has revealed some of them (I have temporarily marked the lacquered surface with felt-tip pen to identify them). The brass panels with dovetails The structure inside forming the frames for the glazed panels are all pinned and riveted with 425 rivets, and the glass is then puttied in. The decorative moulded cornice is also 'invisibly' attached all round with pins, disclosed at one corner where the case was damaged in the past and was apparently heated to repair it, not very successfully. The decorative moulded cornice I wonder whether such large cases are unusual at this period, or are other instruments made in the mid-18th century that are housed in such cases? If so, how are they constructed? I am familiar with the 18th century grand orreries (e.g. those by Wright etc) in the lovely 'cold-frame' type wooden glazed covers, but can't think of anything in metal at this period. If anyone knows of any examples please do get in touch below.