National Museums Liverpool Blog - Monday, March 08, 2010

It's time to peer back into the mists of time again in our series of blogs celebrating World Museum's 150th anniversary. Today is one of the most significant dates in the museum's history, as we revisit the day the museum first opened. Our archives tell us about the challenges that had to be overcome in order to fit the massive natural history collection into the museum...

Slater Street, the location where the museum first openend.

On 8 March 1853, the museum first opened in a building on Slater Street in Liverpool, and it was called the 'Derby Museum of the Borough of Liverpool'.  The Mayor and council marched in a procession from the Town Hall, arriving at the museum just after 2pm.  The Mayor spoke from a temporary dais about the collection of natural history in the museum which had been bequeathed to the town of Liverpool by the Earl of Derby. He said;

"The museum, as is well known, consists of stuffed birds and a large number of birds prepared for stuffing, collected by that eminent patron of natural history, the late Earl of Derby."

"…we may consider this collection the nucleus of one which I fervently hope may exceed in extent, magnificence and in beauty, that of the British Museum itself..."

Then a Mr J.A. Picton came forward to add;

"In regard to the museum, which has just been opened, the problem which was given us to solve was as follows;  [We were] given 18,000 specimens of natural history and to determine how to lace them in a space only calculated to hold 6,000 specimens...I think it would surpass the accomplishment of any conjurer..."

The Bishop of Chester said that he little expected to be called upon to do more than be a spectator.

I wonder if in 1853 anyone apart from the keepers of the collection were allowed to touch the specimens? I doubt that the general public would have got any closer than looking at them in the display cases.

If you visit the museum today however, you can get up close and handle some of the specimens. Head over to the Clore Natural History Centre and see what you can get your hands on!

Conrad Benjamin, RAF Steamer Point

I am pleased to report that the February visitor figures for the International Slavery Museum were extremely good and we are now very close to receiving our millionth visitor. A fantastic achievement considering we have only been open since 2007. 

We are always looking to enhance the visitor experience and this can often mean covering sensitive and challenging issues. An example is Missing (2007) by the artist Rachel Wilberforce, a series of photographs of urban and suburban Britain which depict sex-trafficking and prostitution through the interiors and exteriors of brothels and so-called massage parlours. This newly acquired part of our contemporary slavery collection is now on display. Rachel will be giving a public lecture about her work on Wednesday 10 March 6-8pm at the Merseyside Maritime Museum as part of International Women’s Week. Check the International Women's Day events page for further details.

The very successful Black Britannia exhibition has now ended and we are eagerly awaiting our new cricket based exhibition Beyond the Boundary to be installed.  The exhibition explores the relationship between cricket, culture, class and politics. There is a strong South African element to the exhibition, not just because all eyes will be on South Africa for the World Cup but because we have been working closely with Dr June Bam-Hutchison, museum consultant, community development strategist and a South African national herself. June has brought a wealth of personal and professional knowledge to the table and we are delighted she has been involved.  

Not only was I keen to develop this exhibition due to the fact that the subject fit well with the museum but I have to admit I am a keen cricket fan and was excited at the prospect of a cricket based exhibition. My love of the game came from my father, a great bat as they say (and not a bad slip fielder too!) who was born in then British Guiana (now Guyana) and was used to playing on the fast and hard surfaces of Caribbean pitches when he came to the UK in the 1950s. He joined the RAF and continued to play the game with great success. He in fact played well into his sixties and I was fortunate enough to play in the same team for a number of years.

As a Yorkshireman I of course follow Yorkshire CC who when I was born still had the rule that you had to be born within the county boundaries to be eligible to play for them. Alas, even though I fulfilled this criterion I was never good enough to play at that level. I was also brought up as an avid West Indies fan. There was no choice in the Benjamin household and I always remember my father sat next to the radio listening to the national institution that is Test Match Special. The Windies were a great force when I was growing up in the 1980s and got the better of England on a number of occasions, most famously the ‘Blackwash’ series of 1984. I won’t tell you anymore, go and see the exhibition for yourself.  

Bye for now

A contemporary promotional Lusitania postcard, circa 1910

It is quite frequent now to see large crowds at Liverpool’s Pier Head when liners and cruise ships come in but at one time it was a very common sight indeed.

I can remember many people shouting and cheering when the Empress liners departed on scheduled Atlantic crossings. It was a memorable spectacle – just like this occasion more than 50 years earlier.

The Lusitania, from her maiden voyage to New York to her sinking by a German U-boat submarine eight years later, was Liverpool’s favourite liner among the many using the port.

The 31,550-ton Cunarder was a popular berth for many of the city’s seafarers who took pride in being members of the crew of this beautiful ship.

It was 7 September 1907 when Lusitania left Liverpool on her maiden voyage under the command of Commodore James Watt. She steamed into New York on 13 September after a trouble-free voyage – one she was to repeat many times before her terrible end.

At the time she was the largest ocean liner in the world and held that distinction until her equally lovely sister Mauretania entered service in November 1907. Both ships were also the world’s fastest liners when they held the Blue Riband for crossing the Atlantic.

Merseyside Maritime Museum’s Titanic, Lusitania and the Forgotten Empress (of Ireland) gallery has many items linked to all three doomed ships.

Both Lusitania and Mauretania were ordered by Cunard to restore Britain’s superiority over German ships in the Atlantic passenger trade. The year they entered service was particularly significant because Liverpool was celebrating the 700th anniversary of King John’s charter.

More than 200,000 people lined the banks of the River Mersey to watch Lusitania leaving on her maiden voyage. When Mauretania came into service they worked together providing an express service between Liverpool and New York.

The museum displays include a letter written by Mr C R Minnitt on the Lusitania’s first trip. He told his friend Ethel Poole: “You should have heard the people cheer.”

A card featuring an engraving of the Lusitania invites VIPs to view the liner in the Mersey three days before her maiden voyage. A contemporary colour brochure shows Third Class accommodation including Ladies’ Room, Smoking Room and a four-berth room.

A photograph of the First Class Dining Saloon features its splendid upholstered chairs with crystal glass on sumptuous tablecloths.  

All this was sent to the bottom of the Irish Sea on 7 May 1915 with the loss of nearly 1,200 lives including many Liverpool crew members.

A new Maritime Tale by Stephen Guy appears every Saturday in the Liverpool Echo. A paperback – Mersey Maritime Tales (£3.99) – is available from the museum, newsagents, bookshops or from the Mersey Shop website (£1 p&p UK).

Our photo competition pool 'Liverpool's Chinatown: Through the lens' has had over 100 photos submitted so far and I'm really excited by the variety and imagination shown in people's photos of the Chinatown area and Chinese culture.

In this first weekly blog highlight from the competition entries I've chosen this view of Nelson Street by Ian Hughes (ihughes22). It's a bustling and eye-catching image, the colours of the flags and the dragon looming powerfully over the massed crowds adding to the sense of drama and excitement of the occasion - especially since the dragon almost looks like he's staring straight out at us!

Chinese New Year 2010 © Ian Hughes

The photographer had to choose a specific vantage point back from the crowd and shoot quickly because of the movement of the dragon, but I think the result is a great composition which really captured the energy of the occasion. The photo is displayed at a smaller size for this blog post - it looks even better in a large size.

To celebrate our photography exhibition China: Through the Lens of John Thomson 1868-72 at the Merseyside Maritime Museum we want you to submit your photos of Liverpool's Chinatown to our Flickr pool - our favourite photo submitted by 24 May will win a banquet for two at Yuet Ben, with two runners-up winning exhibition catalogues. Find out more on the competition page.

For this week's blog to celebrate World Museum's 150th anniversary, Curator of Botany Geraldine Reid is here to tell us how the massive 'Plantastic!' exhibition has been going.

Giant inflatable flower outside World Museum

However, because of the weather the botany team has not been able to sit back and relax! Every morning and night we need to venture out to put on and take off the frost blanket on the living plants outside the museum, which are arranged to spell out: Plantastic. Our dashing about seems to be keeping our early morning visitors suitably entertained. They've been watching as we run up and down with the billowing frost blanket, which takes off in the wind or is sometimes frozen so solid we can’t bend it to pack it away! But it's worth it if we can keep our Plantastic! flower bed safe from the cold weather that we’ve been experiencing.

The giant inflatable flowers are also a resounding success. They really lift your spirits when you spot them growing out of the balconies as you walk across St Johns Gardens. The children really seem to love them.

I've also enjoyed looking down and seeing people interacting with the plants in the atrium as they are milling around. It's so important for people to get up close with plants to see the amazing shapes and forms they exhibit.

The main exhibit itself has been an incredible draw. Poor Colly Flower (our story teller) was losing her voice she had so many excited children visiting her in her shed in half-term week for stories on plants. She was looking a bit like a wilted leek at the end of the week!

The giant colourful interactive displays in Plantastic! are brilliant fun even for grown-ups. I really enjoyed crawling through the tunnel and playing in the musical forest. If you haven't been to see the exhibition yet then come along, it's great for plant lovers of all ages!

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the opening of our new Lewis’s Fifth Floor exhibition at the National Conservation Centre.

People attending the opening of Lewis's Fifth Floor: A Department Story watch a film about the floor by Jacqueline Passmore

Having received the sad news earlier in the week that Liverpool’s oldest department store would be closing in June for redevelopment, it made the evening even more poignant knowing that one of the city’s icons would soon be gone forever.

Chatting to my mum and auntie the other day about the exhibition, confirmed how fond scousers are of the store and the memories it holds for them. Having worked in the children’s department of Lewis’s, my mum proudly recounted her own stories of the shop and the grandeur of the fifth floor as it once was, remembering the hair salon, Red Rose restaurant, and the fabulous tiled murals that have been out of public view since the early 80s.

Similarly, at the opening of the exhibition, I spoke to a number of people of all ages who had either worked or shopped at Lewis’s, and had many tales to tell; many inspired by the fifth floor which Stephen King’s exhibition focuses on. Sadly, with the closure of Lewis’s, and George Henry Lees having relocated to the big John Lewis in Liverpool One, I’m not sure our nostalgia for department store shopping in Liverpool will ever be the same again.

Tomorrow, Thursday 4 March, there will be a free informal talk taking place at the National Conservation at 12pm, with Arnold Lewis of the Jewish Historical Society. No need to book, just drop in and spend some time recounting your own Lewis’s memories, as Arnold tells you all you need to know about Liverpool’s oldest department store.

You can also upload your own memories online.

Titanic survivor's apron

The Lusitania was torpedoed and sank within minutes, meaning that only the strongest and fittest had a chance of survival.

The sinking of the Titanic on the other hand took 2 hours and 40 minutes. This made a huge difference in the survivor profiles, as in a less panic-stricken evacuation the women and children were given priority in the lifeboats.

The report shows that "women of all ages on the Titanic had a probability of survival 53 per cent higher than for men, compared with an 11 per cent higher chance of dying on the Lusitania".

The incredible story of one of the women to survive the Titanic, Laura Mabel Francatelli, is told in the Titanic, Lusitania and the forgotten Empress gallery at Merseyside Maritime Museum, where her apron is on display. Laura was the personal maid and secretary to the famous couturier 'Lucillle', or Lady Lucy Duff Gordon, the wife of wealthy landowner Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon. Her survival supports the theory in the New Scientist article that first class passengers had a definite survival advantage in the sinking of the Titanic.

Web Editor Lisa Jones and actress Vikky Evans Hubbard in front of Augustus John's painting Two Jamaican Girls

We held a press call today for the brilliant Talking Heads section of the website where familiar faces from the Walker Art Gallery’s collection “come to life” and answer viewers’ questions.

Web editor Lisa Jones is pictured here interviewing our resident actress Vikky Evans-Hubbard (Vikky is actually a member of our Education and Communities team) in front of the Augustus John painting Two Jamaican Girls.

One part of my job is to work out how we use photographs to tell a story. So to totally deconstruct my own picture: the equipment Lisa actually uses is smaller and more sophisticated and the setting isn’t normally the gallery, which wouldn’t have the right acoustics. But the reality wouldn’t have made such a good picture for press and we wouldn't have got this sneaky peek of the Lowry next door. Both paintings will eventually be going on display in a newly refubished gallery dedicated to British art from 1880-1950 at the end of this year.

Botanical print of 'Narcissus jonquilla'

You can send Welsh wishes online using our selection of St David's Day e-cards, featuring items from the collections including the famous painting 'Salem' from the Lady Lever Art Gallery and some beautiful botanical prints from the Botany collection at World Museum.

Don't forget that Mother's Day and Easter are not far off now. You can find e-cards for both these occasions and more in the VIP zone on the website.

Captain Thomas Jones. Image courtesy of the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo.

This is an inspiring story when a ship came to the rescue just in time and saved a crew from almost certain death.

As the ship battled through mountainous seas something happened that all seafarers dread – the cargo shifted, threatening to capsize the vessel. The Italian cargo ship Monte Grappa had left Montreal for Venice loaded with grain in November 1922. At first everything went to routine for the crew of the new vessel.

Things turned sour when the southerly gale blew up in the mid-Atlantic sending the ship plunging and lurching. For two days she struggled onward until the shifting boards (portable bulkheads) gave way and the grain moved.

The ship immediately took a heavy list until her rail was under water. It seemed she was about to turn turtle and sink. Frantic efforts were made to right the vessel by filling the ballast tanks and pumping out the boilers – to no effect.

Crew members then worked feverishly to jettison the cargo but water cascaded into the stokeholds until the firemen were working up to their waists. Both port lifeboats were swept away and the starboard boats could not be lowered.

The Monte Grappa’s SOS call was picked up by the White Star liner Pittsburgh commanded by Captain Thomas Jones (pictured) who was 185 miles away. He immediately responded and raced through the storm to the stricken vessel.

A distress rocket flared and the Monte Grappa loomed into sight. Two boats were lowered by the Pittsburgh and fought their way through the churning waves to reach the sinking ship.

While passengers watched from the liner, every member of the Monte Grappa’s crew was brought to safety and their ship left to her fate.

This was just one incident in the long career of Captain Jones, whose cabin has been recreated in Merseyside Maritime Museum. Among the exhibits is a Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society medal awarded for his involvement in the Monte Grappa rescue.

Thomas Jones (1869 – 1957), from Cardigan in Wales, became a steamship master at the young age of 24. His distinguished career spanned the age of sail and steam. As well as the Pittsburgh, he captained the White Star liners Haverford and Canada.

Many of his personal items are on display including his dressing gown, chair and concertina – one of his numerous hobbies while on voyages.

A new Maritime Tale by Stephen Guy appears every Saturday in the Liverpool Echo. A paperback – Mersey Maritime Tales (£3.99) – is available from the museum, newsagents, bookshops or from the Mersey Shop website (£1 p&p UK).