Royal Museums Greenwich

Nelson, Navy, Nation: The story of the Royal Navy and the British people, 1688–1815

• 21 October 2013 — 21 October 2020 *on now

From bustling dockyards to ferocious sea battles, the gallery brings to life the tumultuous 18th century, exploring how the Royal Navy shaped everyday lives as it became a central part of society and turned sea-faring heroes into national celebrities.

Journeying from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Nelson, Navy, Nation brings together over 250 star objects from the Museum’s collections, from the sailor’s shoes worn to impress on shore leave and love tokens sent to sweethearts, to a fiendish seven-barrelled volley gun and an amputation knife and bullet forceps. Discover what made men join up, how they lived and what kept them in line; and how the Navy loomed large in all areas of the popular imagination, from caricatures to keepsakes and collectables.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Where

National Maritime Museum

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/nelson-navy-nation/about

The Atlantic: Slavery, Trade, Empire

• 1 November 2013 — 1 November 2018 *on now

This gallery is about the movement of people, goods and ideas across and around the Atlantic Ocean from the 17th century to the 19th century.

The connections created by these movements changed the lives of people on three continents, profoundly affecting their cultures and societies and shaping the world we live in today.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/atlantic-worlds

Showcasing the very best of Royal Museums Greenwich’s collection of First and Second World War art, this new display includes visually arresting and moving portraits, battle scenes, and depictions of everyday life during conflict.

Charged with the task of revealing a ‘truth’ that went beyond the simple recording of events, official war art served the purposes of commemoration, instruction, documentation and propaganda as well as raising morale at home and at the front.

War Artists at Sea features paintings and works on paper and consists of a rolling programme of displays throughout 2014. Artists on display include: Leslie Cole, Eric Ravilious, Richard Eurich, Norman Wilkinson, Stephen Bone, William Dring, John Worsley, and Charles Wheeler.

Admission

Website

http://www.​rmg.​co.​uk

Guiding Lights: 500 Years of Trinity House and Safety at Sea

• 1 April 2014 — 28 February 2015 *on now

Five hundred years ago, a fraternity of London mariners was given a charter by Henry VIII and became the Corporation of Trinity House - with instructions to improve the safety of navigation on the Thames.

Since then, Trinity House has looked after pilotage, buoys, beacons and lightships and has become the Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and the Channel Islands. The work of Trinity House over the last 500 years has prevented countless shipwrecks and immense loss of life, and its employees have shown great skill, bravery and endurance.

While Trinity House’s aims have remained constant its methods of achieving them have changed dramatically as new technology is adopted and developed.

This small gallery displays objects and stories from throughout the organisation’s history as well as looking to the future as Trinity House continues to work ‘for the benefit and safety of all mariners’.

Website

http://www.​rmg.​co.​uk

Forgotten Fighters: the First World War at Sea

• 1 August 2014 — 1 August 2015 *on now

As part of the National Maritime Museum’s commemoration of World War One this new gallery explores the naval and maritime dimensions of that conflict.

The horrors of the Western Front have long dominated our understanding of those years, and yet the war at sea was fought on an epic scale and with terrible human loss.

Forgotten Fighters foregrounds the personal stories of those who participated through a wide range of objects including weaponry, photographs, medals and ship models; in a gallery which takes visitors from the heroism of merchant mariners to the shattering realities of naval battle, and from the Falkland Islands and the Mediterranean to the Atlantic and the North Sea.

Website

http://www.​rmg.​co.​uk

The Art and Science of Exploration, 1768 – 80

• 7 August 2014 — 30 June 2015 *on now

Imagine seeing an animal as remarkable as a kangaroo for the first time. When Captain Cook’s first voyage to the South Pacific returned to Britain in 1771, he brought back accounts and images of extraordinary lands, peoples, flora and fauna. Returning twice more over the following decade, Cook established a pattern for voyages of discovery that combined scientific investigation with artistic response. Specially commissioned artists accompanied all three voyages, as well as producing works in Britain from specimens and accounts collected on the spot.

This August, in freshly-refurbished rooms at the centre of the Queen’s House, exceptional paintings, prints and drawings by five artists bring to life the attempt to understand this strange new world. The newly-acquired paintings by George Stubbs of a kangaroo and dingo go on display with portraits, landscapes and scenes of encounter with Pacific islanders, painted by William Hodges and John Webber on the second and third voyages; as well as botanical prints based on drawings by Sydney Parkinson, who died before the first voyage reached home.

These artists produced extraordinary images which worked both as scientific records of carefully-planned exploration, and sensitive representations of an unfolding new world.

Suitable for

• Any age

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/future/art-science-exploration-1768-80

Astronomy Photographer of the Year

• 1 September 2014 — 28 February 2015 *on now

The Royal Observatory’s hugely popular Astronomy Photographer of the Year returns in 2014 to celebrate the very best in astrophotography from around the world.

The competition opens for entries in January 2014, with photographers invited to submit work to categories including ‘Earth and Space’, ‘Deep Space’ ‘Our Solar System’ and ‘Young Astronomy Photographer’. The winning images are selected by an expert judging panel which includes the Observatory’s Public Astronomer Dr. Marek Kukula.

After the awards are announced in September 2014 the winning photographs will be displayed in a special exhibition at the Royal Observatory.

The 2013 contest received a record number of entries, with over 1,200 outstanding pictures submitted from 49 countries around the globe. More details and previous winning images can be found at www.rmg.co.uk/astrophoto

Admission

Voyagers: Britons and the Sea

• 1 November 2014 — 1 November 2018 *on now

Set in the heart of the new Sammy Ofer Wing, Voyagers tells the story of Britain and the sea, illustrating the contemporary significance of maritime histories and the personal stories of our island nation.

The gallery, designed by Real Studios, contains over 200 objects representing the extraordinary depth and range of the Museum’s collection. Voyagers also features a dynamic audio-visual installation created by The Light Surgeons, using bespoke software developed by Flightphase.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/voyagers

Traders: the East India Company and Asia

• 1 November 2014 — 1 November 2018 *on now

Traders: the East India Company and Asia is a permanent gallery exploring Britain’s maritime trade with Asia, focusing on the role played by the East India Company.

For over 250 years, the East India Company uniquely shaped trade between Britain and Asia. The gallery explores the influence of Company trade and power, tracing the changing relationships between Britain and Asia that this brought about.

This trade involved key commodities, different locations and many people. It had consequences that changed Britain and the world and still affect us today.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/traders

Nelson's Ship in a Bottle

• 1 November 2014 — 1 November 2018 *on now

We are delighted to announce that thanks to the generosity of many individuals, the fundraising appeal to buy Yinka Shonibare, MBE’s sculpture Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle for the National Maritime Museum and ensure it remains on permanent display has been a success.

The work, which is a scaled down replica of HMS Victory, now has a permanent new home outside the recently opened Sammy Ofer Wing.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/nelsons-ship-in-a-bottle

The Great Map

• 1 November 2014 — 1 November 2018 *on now

The Great Map provides a space at the centre of the Museum where people can gather, delve deeper into our collections, and join in with events and celebrations. This multi-sensory experience is especially suitable for families.

Walk across the map’s surface, and use a touch-screen tablet to uncover stories of female pirates, Scott’s Antarctic expedition and many more. Understand from live data the currents and winds that drive vessels and people across the world’s oceans and seas.

Have fun on The Great Map playing games with your friends and family. With five games to choose from there is a game for everyone. Pick a card and explore the world as a submarine or build bridges across continents!

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/the-great-map

Ahoy!

• 1 March 2015 — 1 December 2020

Our new gallery dedicated to our younger visitors. Board a pirate ship, stoke the fire of a steamship, navigate an ice-breaker, and more, all under one roof.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Unseen: The Lives of Looking, by Dryden Goodwin

• 5 March — 26 July 2015

Acclaimed contemporary artist Dryden Goodwin creates his first feature-length film, considering the act of looking. Charting a series of close encounters by the artist, the film focuses on three individuals with a particular relationship to looking: a planetary explorer, an eye surgeon and a human rights lawyer; the artist’s own gaze reflects on their endeavours, through his intense drawing and filmmaking activity.

The solo exhibition will include drawings produced during the production of the film, as well as artefacts used by all four lookers in their work. In addition, items from the Museum’s collections highlight three figures in the history of the Queen’s House, Royal Observatory and Royal Hospital School, to consider how working at Greenwich has always involved detailed observation.

Where

The Queen's House

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/unseen-dryden-goodwin

Against Captain’s Orders: A Journey into the Uncharted will take audience members on the adventure of a lifetime through the National Maritime Museum’s extraordinary collection of maritime artefacts. With so much history secured in one museum: so many objects, so many stories, so many doorways to other times and other worlds, who knows who or what will turn up on this exciting journey. Exhilarating, enlightening and perhaps just a tiny bit dangerous, this is a theatrical expedition through the museum, the likes of which have never been seen before.

Admission

Against Captain's Orders: A Journey Into the Uncharted

• 28 March — 1 August 2015

With so much history secured in one museum – so many objects, so many stories, so many doorways to other times and other worlds – Against Captain's Orders: A Journey into the Uncharted will take you on the adventure of a lifetime through the National Maritime Museum’s extraordinary collection of maritime artefacts.

Exciting, enlightening, and, who knows, perhaps just a tiny bit dangerous, Against Captain’s Orders: A Journey into the Uncharted promises a theatrical journey through the Museum, the like of which has never been seen before. Anyone brave enough to get on board will scarcely believe what will happen next…

Performances are open to schools and families with children aged 6-12yrs.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10.00 on Wednesday 24 September.

Suitable for

• 5-6
• 7-10
• 11-13

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/against-captains-orders

Investigate the role played by the arts in the interpretation of science and exploration.

Why has the perception and practice of art and science separated into two distinct disciplines
and how is this being addressed today?

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/enlightened-approach

Join curator Jessica Lewis for a tour of Cutty Sark. Originally designed to last just 30 years, the famous ship is now nearly five times that age.

Come and discover the secrets of Cutty Sark's successes and learn about the recent conservation project to preserve this beautiful and unique vessel for future generations.

The 5 Feb tour will also be BSL-interpreted.

Age: Suitable for 11+.

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/cutty-sark-tours

Come aboard to hear Cutty Sark’s incredible stories, brought to life by characters from the ship’s past.

Join James Robson, Cutty Sark’s cook, to sing songs, learn sailor skills and find out what was for dinner on-board.

With the Yellow Earth Theatre.

Age: Suitable for 3+.

Sessions run at 11.00, 12.00, 13.30, 14.30

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/robson-cutty-sark-0115

To mark the release of the BFI’s newly restored The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands (1927) on DVD/Blu-ray, join Bryony Dixon (Silent Film Curator at the BFI) and Quintin Colville (Curator of Naval History at the National Maritime Museum), for a screening of the film followed by a discussion about this important documentary.

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/coronel-falkland

Separated by the sea, lovers and loved ones have for centuries written letters that express their longing to be together again.

The Caird Library has a unique collection of romantic letters written by men serving in the Georgian Navy to their wives and mistresses. Come and investigate these love letters in the beautiful setting of the Queen’s House before taking part in a candle-lit tour of the Queen's Bedchamber.

Musical accompaniment by Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance. Price includes two glasses of Prosecco or a non-alcoholic drink per guest.

Suitable for

• Not suitable for children

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/calendar/love-in-archives-2015

Tea is an everyday essential for many people, but what is it worth? Come along to share your stories of having tea with your family and friends, and discover the surprising history behind how tea first came to Britain from China by exploring Traders: the East India Company & Asia gallery.

Make a cup to hold your memories of having tea with your family and friends. Sessions run at 11.30–13.30, 14.00–16.00.

Suitable for

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/tea-story-0215

Find out how tea gets from plant to cup and decorate a tea farmer’s hat with Chinese symbols, patterns, and your own fantastic designs. 

Sessions run at 11.30-13.30, 14.00-16.00

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/tea-hats

How is tea brought to Britain? Find out how tea first came from China to Britain and make ships bringing tea to sail across The Great Map.

Sessions run at 11.30–13.00, 13.30–16.00.

Suitable for

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/tea-ships-come-sailing

February school holiday fun on Cutty Sark.

Which Chinese year were you born in? Fold and design a fabulous animal fan to peek through and play with. Can you spot your animal on the ship? 

Sessions run at 11.30-13.30, 14.00-16.00.

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/fantastic-animals

Did you know Cutty Sark was built to carry tea from China? Bring a traditional Chinese decoration to life by making a colourful dancing dragon to play with. Take a closer look at decorations on tea pots, cups and caddies for inspiration.

Sessiopns run at 11.30-13.30, 14.00-16.00

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/dancing-dragons

Sample some of Twinings' finest blends of tea, and discover the story of the ancient Chinese drink underneath Cutty Sark’s beautiful hull.

Sessions run at 11.00-13.00, 14.00-16.00.

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/cs-tea-tasting

Celebrate Chinese New Year and British East Asian heritage at the National Maritime Museum with a day of workshops and performances.

Come along with all the family, and discover more about how trade by sea brought people and cultural celebrations from Asia to Britain.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/calendar/chinese-new-year-2015

Join one of our curators on a tour of the Queen’s House. Commissioned in 1616 by Queen Anne of Denmark, James I’s wife, and finally finished around 1638 for King Charles I’s queen, Henrietta Maria, this tour will focus on the queens who have resided in the house.

Suitable for

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/queens-house-queens

To mark Women’s History Month drop by the Compass Lounge to view the Caird Library and Archive’s collection of manuscripts and photographs detailing the birth and short life of the First World War Wrens.

Suitable for

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/wrens

Join us for an exploration of contemporary issues around the environment.

Themes include whaling, current research on the Thames, disasters making the world more dangerous, and wildlife. Speakers include filmmaker Jessica Rinland and novelist Philip Hoare.

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/environment-now

Help bring the colourful characters in our figurehead collection to life. Make a fabulous head-dress to wear in a game of musical statues underneath the ship.

Sessions run at 11.30–13.30, 14.00–16.00.

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/musical-statues

Join this talk to find out more about British fishing communities and the role that women played in sustaining them.

The session will start at the oil panels of Working Boats from around the British Coast by Alan Sorrell, before moving onto the Caird Library and Archive to look at Paul Duke's series of photographs of a fishing community.

Suitable for

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/at-sea

Join author Susanna Hislop as she presents astronomical stories associated with the constellations from her book Stories in the Stars, leaping between centuries, cultures and traditions.

This unique experience will be illustrated using the constellation art of artist Hannah Waldron. There will be book-signing after the event.

Accessible for wheelchair users.

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/stories-in-stars

To celebrate the opening of an exciting new interactive gallery and Against Captain’s Orders, a unique theatrical journey into the Museum’s collection, take part in a range of activities that will take you on your greatest adventure.

This course explores space travel, from our earliest ideas about how space travel might be achieved, via recent, current and near future developments in crewed and un-crewed space travel, to speculation on how interstellar travel and time travel might be achieved. No prior scientific knowledge is required.

Course takes place on Tuesdays.

Suitable for

• Not suitable for children

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/calendar/travelling-universe2015

Following on from our hugely successful Decoding Harrison conference in July 2014, we reflect on the successes of the Burgess ‘B’ clock and ask ‘What next?’ for this astounding timekeeper.

Join us for a day of talks and discussions, including a visit to the Royal Observatory Greenwich and a behind-the-scenes look at the Horology workshop. 

Suitable for

Admission

Website

http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/events/harrison-decoded