National Museums Liverpool Blog - merseyside maritime museum

Marketing Officer Andrew Winder has news of how National Museums Liverpool will be one of 50 organisations marking the city’s International Day Against Homophobia on 17 May:

Many of the organisations involved will fly equality flags, host planters containing pansies created by artist Paul Harfleet and programme events.

At National Museums Liverpool, we plan to mark it with a special tour of Hello Sailor! at Merseyside Maritime Museum. The exhibition uncovers gay life at sea, particularly pre-decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967. For many gay people, cruise ships and the merchant navy provided refuge that could not be found on land. A date for the tour of Hello Sailor has yet to be confirmed.

National Museums Liverpool is proud to support Homotopia’s IDAHO 50 initiative and is committed to ensuring that there is lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender visibility in our collections, exhibitions and events.

Currently, at the Museum of Liverpool in the People’s Republic gallery, we display the equality flag flown over Liverpool Town Hall for the International Day Against Homophobia in 2009. Our Maritime Library contains the Sailing Proud archive of oral histories of gay seafarers. Some of Liverpool’s gay landmarks feature as part of the online interactive Mapping Memory pages with accompanying videos and photographs."

Many flowers were left at the Lusitania's propeller at the service to mark the 97th anniversary of the sinking

On Bank Holiday Monday, Merseyside Maritime Museum held its annual commemoration for the sinking of Cunard liner 'RMS Lusitania'. Ellie Moffat, Curator of Maritime Collections, explains why this is an important event for the museum:

'Lusitania' had strong ties to Liverpool. She was registered in Liverpool, her home port, and was owned by Cunard, still based in the city at that time. The ship, referred to affectionately as “Lusie” by local people, was a familiar sight at the landing stage. In 1907 she sailed from Liverpool on her maiden voyage, bound for New York. Over 200,000 people came down to the Mersey to watch her depart. For the next eight years she provided a regular service across the Atlantic, breaking speed records along the way.

The sinking caused outrage and led to rioting in Liverpool and Birkenhead, and other cities across the world. It struck a tragic blow to the dockland communities in north Liverpool, where most of “Lusie’s” crew lived. 404 crewmen perished.

One of the most iconic objects in our collection is the port side four-bladed propeller that was salvaged from the wreck of RMS Lusitania by Oceaneering International Services Ltd, later acquired by the museum. It was one of four that drove Lusitania across the Atlantic. When she was launched in 1906, she was originally fitted with three-bladed propellers, but they were replaced with the four-bladed propellers in 1909 to improve her speed.

Each year on the anniversary, we hold an annual commemoration to remember those men, women and children who lost their lives. It was particularly poignant this year as were we are able to hold the commemoration around the propeller for the first time in several years.

During the event Ian Murphy, Deputy Director of Merseyside Maritime museum, gave an introduction. David Roberts, maritime historian and author, then gave a historical overview of “Lusie”. A short religious service was led by Father John Williams and a minute’s silence was held. To mark the end of the commemoration Ian Murphy laid a wreath at the base of the propeller on behalf of the museum. Many people attending also left flowers.

With the centenary only three years away, curatorial staff at Merseyside Maritime Museum are carrying out new research in to the 'Lusitania' and her connections to Merseyside. As part of this work, we would be very pleased to hear from local people with family connections to the famous ship and would encourage anyone to email us at:

Lusitania@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Find out more about 'RMS Lusitania' in our gallery Titanic, Lusitania and the Forgotten Empress."

Walking to the office this morning there is already a sense of anticipation and excitement for the Sea Odyssey event which starts today until Sunday. I saw the diver puppet half submerged in Salthouse Dock.

The event was inspired by May McMurray’s letter which is part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum archives and library collection. May wrote a letter to her father William McMurray and sadly he never received it. It was returned to the family unread. The letter is currently on display in the Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story exhibition.

This weekend marks the end of another successful week for the exhibition which in three weeks has received over 100,000 visitors and we are all delighted by the overwhelming positive response from visitors. The curators have also been contacted by many relatives of crew and passengers who were on board Titanic.

To keep up to date with developments at the Merseyside Maritime Museum you can follow our twitter page and join our facebook.

Titanic & Liverpool: the untold story exhibition opens from 30th March 2012- 21 April 2013

Children at the Maritime Museum looking at the giant ship model of Titanic

There can’t be many people who don’t know about Liverpool’s special guests this weekend. Three fantastical giants will be striding through the city telling a magical tale of love, loss and reunion. 

Sea Odyssey was inspired by the poignant letter written by May McMurray to her father who perished on the Titanic, on display in the Maritime Museum's exhibition, Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story.

The routes of both giants pass most of our venues so we have arranged the following free events to give you even more to do this weekend:

Maritime Museum

'Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story' marks the centenery of the sinking of the Titanic. Using the perspectives of real people, the exhibition gives a unique insight into events surrounding the launch, voyage, the sinking and its aftermath from a Liverpool angle.

Free family events explore the story further this weekend and beyond.

The Maritime Museum is open from 9am on Sunday 22 April.

Museum of Liverpool

In a poignant tribute to the brave Titanic Orchestra whose services were engaged by the agent Black Brothers of Liverpool, the museum is hosting a Titanic Playathon on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April.

There will also be other Titanic themed events across the weekend.

The Museum of Liverpool is open from 9am on Sunday 22 April.

Walker Art Gallery

Get creative at the Walker with the following family events:

Create a character
Saturday 21 April
2-4.30pm
Get ready for the arrival of Sea Odyssey’s Giant Uncle and make your own movable puppet.

Giants galore
Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April
10am-4pm
Join us in Big Art to create your own artwork inspired by Sea Odyssey Giant Spectacular.

Sea Odyssey doodle station
Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April 
12.30-4.30pm
Join our volunteers for an afternoon of themed drawing activities and experiment with a variety of drawing equipment and materials.

Sudley House

'Titanic: Community costume display'
27 April- 27 May 2012
Selection of poignant works by Liverpool Community College to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Create a character
28 April
1-4pm
Explore the Sea Odyssey costumes and make your own moving character.

Over the weekend I met with Theatre in the Rough at the Merseyside Maritime Museum who are a charity which promote new writing for the stage by young people aged 13-25 from across Greater Merseyside.
This year the group are developing a series of plays about Titanic and Liverpool, the maritime history department were approached by acclaimed Liverpool playwright Chris Fittock who is artistic director for Theatre in the Rough. We provided a Titanic presentation for these budding new writers, drawing upon the themes from the new exhibition Titanic & Liverpool: the untold story at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

Their writing will result in ten new monologues and ten short audio-plays about Titanic and Liverpool, drawing upon real life stories and experiences. A locally-curated exhibition and live music will also feature within a festival which takes place 3rd -7th July, Old Christ Church, Waterloo, Liverpool which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. For further information please see their website.

Titanic & Liverpool: the untold story exhibition opens from 30th March 2012- 21 April 2013.

James Johnston was born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland in 1871 and he lived in Liverpool with his wife and five children. He worked for White Star Line and boarded Titanic for her delivery voyage from Belfast as a first class steward.

Millvina Dean was born in London in 1912 and boarded Titanic in Southampton. She was only six weeks old and she was travelling as a third class passenger with her family who are moving to America to start a new life.

Joseph Philippe Lermercier Laroche was born in Haiti on 26th May 1886. He left home aged 15 and travelled to France to study engineering. He met his wife Juliette and they had two daughters. They were travelling to Haiti as Joseph was trying to find work and Juliette was pregnant. They were second class passengers on board Titanic.

Although the largest vessel of her time, Titanic was an ordinary working ship. For the crew, it was just another voyage - many had worked on other White Star Line ships and were expecting to reach their destination safely. Passengers were travelling for a variety of reasons, returning home, going to see loved ones, starting a new life. Whilst researching for the Titanic & Liverpool: the untold story exhibition it became very clear that these were ordinary people who were going about their lives.

The lives of James, Millvina and Joseph are only a selection of the people who boarded Titanic in 1912 and who are featured in the Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story exhibition at MMM. Before you enter the exhibition you can select a card featuring a person who boarded Titanic and find out their fate at the end of the exhibition: did these people survive the most famous maritime disaster in history? Amongst all the myths and world wide interest surrounding Titanic, the simple and most important aspect is the loss of life and the many lives affected.

Titanic & Liverpool- The Untold story exhibition is open from 30 March 2012- 21 April 2013

White star liner Olympic - sister of Titanic - looking aft (1920). Reproduced by permission of English Heritage: BL24990/021

To commemorate the Titanic centenary, we're offering you the chance to win an A3 mounted print of either Titanic's sister ship RMS Olympic or the White Star Line's Liverpool offices! 

One runner up will receive a copy of 'Titanic and Liverpool' by Alan Scarth and a photography book which accompanies our current exhibition at the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

To enter, you need to answer this question:

Which photographer(s) were commissioned by the White Star Line to photograph RMS Olympic in 1920? 

a) Edward Chambre Hardman

b) Bedford Lemere & Co

c) Henri Cartier-Bresson

Hint: Check the Lady Lever Art Gallery website!

Send your answer to us at prizedraw@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk  

or by post to: Titanic print competition, National Museums Liverpool, Marketing & Communications, 127 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 2JH

The competition closes on Thursday 3 May at 12 noon.

Good luck!

Damaged hull of City of Exeter, Ellerman Lines (reference DX/1507)

It's rather hard to make out, but this photograph shows a large hole in the Ellerman Line vessel City of Exeter caused when it was mined 200 miles off Bombay (Mumbai) in 1917.  The ship safely reached Bombay (Mumbai) and was put into dry dock for repairs.

Today is International Mine Awareness Day part of a campaign to highlight the danger to civilians from mines laid during wars.  The charity MAG (Mines Awareness Group) does a lot of work in this area, both in educating children to recognise and avoid mines and in clearing land so it can be safely used again.

The Willet Bruce Tri-Tone steam whistle which was from the ship MV Britannic (1930-1960) is one of the objects which will be on display in the Titanic & Liverpool: the untold story exhibition.

The steam whistles for Olympic and Titanic were the largest ever made at the time and could be heard for over a distance of 11 miles. This whistle is the same type as those found on Olympic and Titanic but it is quarter their size.
It was designed by William Joseph Willet Bruce who was a manager and engineers superintendent of White Star Line’s workshops on Strand Road, Bootle.

The steam whistle, which weighs just over quarter of a ton, was made by local firm Chadburn’s; William Chadburn lived at 15 Beach Lawn, Crosby which was two doors away from Thomas Ismay’s home who was the then chairman of White Star Line.

There were many Liverpool firms involved in supplying fittings and materials for the construction of Olympic and Titanic. One example is Thomas Utley & Company of Silverdale Avenue who made Titanic’s bells and over 1200 portholes each for both ships. You can find out more about the local firms in the book ‘Titanic and Liverpool’ by Dr Alan Scarth which offers an excellent insight into Titanic’s Liverpool links and whose research formed the basis of the content for this exhibition.

Titanic & Liverpool: the untold story exhibition opens 30th March 2012

Bye for now.

Some of the key objects on display in the Titanic & Liverpool: the untold story exhibition is telegrams from the Merseyside Maritime Museum’s extensive archive and library collection. These messages sent and received using the Marconi wireless on the rescue ship Carpathia between 15-17 April 1912, when Titanic’s survivors were rescued and taken to New York.

Messages were sent by Captain Rostron, as well as Bruce Ismay and many other survivors who wanted to pass on news that they were safe and also about the loss of loved ones. We have selected six messages from the collection which will be displayed in the 2hr 40 minutes area of the gallery, which takes its name from the time it took Titanic to sink.

These telegrams are poignant messages that communicate the enormous events in just a few words. For example, one telegram from Bruce Ismay on board Carpathia to P.A.S. Franklin, vice president White Star Line, New York 17 April 1912-

Deeply regret advise you Titanic sank this morning fifteenth after collision iceberg resulting serious loss of life, further particulars later

Titanic & Liverpool: the untold story opens Friday 30th March 2012.