Greenwich National Maritime Museum Archive

Greenwich, perhaps better known as the place where time zones begin, is also home to the National Maritime Museum (NMM). While we did tour around their exhibition and take many photos on the Prime Meridian line, the primary purpose for our visit was to chat with archive staff Mike and Vicki to gain an understanding of what is unique about their collection. 

As a part of the Royal Museums Greenwich, the Museum is situated with the Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark, and Queen’s House next to a vast and hilled green park, much enjoyed by joggers and dogs. Their mission is "together we’re dedicated to enriching people’s understanding of the sea, the exploration of space, and Britain's role in world history." 

The archive's collection consists of about 6000 items located on the shelves around their public area and an additional 20,000 items stored over several floors in another location. Included among these 26,000 items are books, manuscripts, maps, prints, and pamphlets pertaining to Britain's and its colonies greatest or most notable naval events. Items that are donated to the Museum may arrive in any state and for that reason, the Museum has a conservation department devoted to restoring or repairing damaged materials. The archive focuses on preserving and storing materials. They do many group tours, primarily for children, and are often called upon by people from all over the world to find information for genealogies and history books. There is a staff member whose main job is a scan and send service for people who are unable to make it to the museum. 

 

During our tour, one of the things Vicki showed us were several items from an exhibition they are currently putting together on the Titanic. We were granted access to items that had been collected by an individual throughout the 20th century as he researched for a book on the infamous disaster. Included were timetables, menu cards, passenger lists, and an advertisement brochure. Most impressive to me were the personal accounts of survivors that he gathered in the 1950's. Written in beautiful penmanship were the stories of people who had actually been there, explaining what they remembered of the fateful night. They are now preserved in acid-free plastic and we were able to turn the pages and read each of the documents.

Our time at the NMM archive allowed us another opportunity to physically engage with exciting and interesting history, and to meet with the people who work to preserve it.