Top 10 Facts about Merseyside Maritime Museum

Merseyside Maritime Museum photo by Mieszko64-Wikimedia Commons.

Top 10 Facts about Merseyside Maritime  Museum

Merseyside maritime museum is located in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. Liverpool is a maritime city in northwest England.

This is where the River Mersey meets the Irish Sea which was a key trade and migration port from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.

The museum is based at the heart of the Albert Dock. It is the ideal location to explore and uncover the development of the world-famous ports while bringing Liverpool’s nautical history to life.

The museum shows the city’s pivotal role as the gateway to the new world with famous exhibits about the RMS Titanic, Lusitania, and Empress of Ireland gallery, the Battle of the Atlantic, the temporary exhibition space, etc.

The museum also includes Michelin Guide-listed Maritime Dining Rooms a lecture theatre, a shop, and a café. Here are 10 facts about Merseyside maritime museum:

Merseyside Maritime Museum photo by Rodhullandemu-Wikimedia Commons.

1. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool

National Museums Liverpool comprises several museums and art galleries in and around Liverpool England. It was formerly National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside created around 1986.

It was established after local politics in Liverpool was under the control of the militant group of the labor party In the 1980s.

The militant councilors had discussed closing down the city’s museums and selling off their art collections.

To prevent this from happening the conservative government nationalized all of Liverpool’s museums under the Merseyside museums and galleries.

The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.

Merseyside Maritime Museum photo by en:User: Tony Corsini-Wikimedia Commons.

2. It is the Anchor Point of ERIH
 

European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) is a tourism industry informative initiative that presents a network of industrial heritage sites across Europe.

It is a tourist route of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. The concept was born in 1999.

The aim of the project is to promote regions, sites, and towns showing industrial history and market them as visitor attractions in the leisure and tourism industry.

It also creates interest in the common European heritage of Industrialisation and its legacy.

Merseyside Maritime Museum photo by calflier001-Wikimedia Commons.

3. The Building also Houses the Archives Centre

The Merseyside maritime museum building houses the Archives Centre.

It was previously known as the Maritime Archives and Library which houses an extensive collection of maritime and slavery books and documents spanning three centuries.

These collections include one of the finest collections of merchant shipping records in the UK and important records from the transatlantic slave trade and its legacies. 

The Archive Center covers every aspect of Liverpool’s maritime history from the early 18th century onwards emphasizing Liverpool and the rest of the world.

Merseyside Maritime Museum photo by Gaspa-Wikimedia Commons.

4. The museum is located near a very popular dock

The Merseyside museum occupies warehouse block D at the Albert Dock, along with the Piermaster’s House, Canning Half Tide Dock, and Canning Graving Docks. The Albert Dock was opened in 1846 with unique features.

Its warehouses were fireproof and secure, the traders could do deals before their import taxes were due and the hydraulic cranes hauled heavy çargoes across the flagstones.

Liverpool’s docks dominated global trade by the early 19th century due to their open yet secure design.

The dock became a popular store for valuable cargoes such as brandy, cotton, tea, silk, tobacco, ivory, and sugar.

5. The Museum’s Collections reflect Liverpool’s Importance as a Gateway to the World

The Merseyside museums hold a vast collection of Boats, paintings, ship models, ship wrecked objects, uniforms, and more.

Lusitania and Empress of Ireland gallery, the Battle of the Atlantic are among the numerous exquisite collections on display.

The temporary exhibition space highlights the Lifelines display, telling the story of the merchant navy.

Families get to learn about Liverpool’s role in The Battle of the Atlantic during World War two.

The museum’s distinctive collection bars it from the rest with the detailed history depicting Liverpool’s gateway to the world.

6. Sized! The Border and Customs Uncovered are Located in the Basement Gallery of the Building

Sized! The border and customs uncovered were established in 1995 as a partnership between the national museum’s Liverpool and HM Customs & Excise.

It merged with the Inland Revenue to form HM Revenue and customs in May 2008. It was then named the UK Border Agency National museum known as Sized! The Border and customs uncovered.

The museum was designed to educate the public about smuggling and contraband from the 1700s to the present day.

It is one of the most important collections of its type held anywhere in the world telling the story of smuggling and contraband from the 18th century to the present day.

They include an extensive display of tools of the job, prints, paintings, and photographs relating to the work of the UK Border Agency and HM Revenue and Customs.

It is now a gallery located on the basement floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum at the Albert Dock.

7. Merseyside Maritime Museum initially began in 1862

The Museum’s collection first began in 1862 with boats and equipment. The museum lacked funds for a long period of time which stunted its growth and expansion.

The museum struggled to stay afloat by 1924 the collection was little more than ‘an old dug-out canoe and a few model ships.

Seven years later the museum got more collections and continued to expand. It was opened to the public for a trial season in 1980 before fully opening in 1984 and expanding in 1986.

8. The International Slavery Museum forms part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum

Originally the international slavery museum was part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum which opened in 1980.

The history of the slave trade was originally discussed as part of the city’s maritime history.

In 1994 a dedicated Transatlantic Slavery gallery was created to better explore Liverpool’s historic role in the slave trade.

It focuses on the history and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. The museum consists of three main galleries which focus on the lives of people in West Africa, their eventual enslavement, and their continued fight for freedom.

The museum also discusses slavery in the modern day, racism, and discrimination.

9. Titanic’s History is Documented in the Museum

The Maritime Museum’s collections tell the story of the Titanic’s connection to the city and how its loss impacted the people of Liverpool.

The RMS Titanic was registered in Liverpool and carried the city’s name on her stern. Titanic was born and took shape in Albion House, the headquarters of the Liverpool-based White Star Line. 

Although the ship never visited Liverpool it had strong links with her home port and its managing company, the White Star Line, had its head office in James Street, Liverpool.

10. Robert Gladstone Created the Shipping Gallery in 1931

Robert Gladstone was a Liverpool merchant a maritime historian and the great-nephew of former Prime Minister William Gladstone. He was a former chairman of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. In 1931 he created the shipping gallery which was partially destroyed in the May Blitz of 1941. The  Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of Liverpool and its surrounding area, during the Second World War by the German Luftwaffe. In 1965, the History of the Ship gallery was opened followed by the Port of Liverpool gallery and the New Shipperies Exhibition. In the late 1970s work began on the creation of a dedicated maritime museum.