# National Maritime Museum Greenwich



## Brent Pyburn (Nov 23, 2006)

I recently visited our national maritime museum, the last time being a couple of years ago. I was extremely disappointed it was like a children's theme park.
Whilst I understand the need to educate children, surely not at the expense of adult interest and source of serious historical fact. The only redeeming feature was the Turner exhibition, which was excellent. Last month I visited the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam and it was far superior. I would be interested to hear the opinion of others.


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## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

I've never been to the NMM but it sounds like just another case of dumbing down. I suspect that the vast majority of kids these days aren't even aware that the UK has/had a great maritime tradition. Nor would they know that in granddads' time huge numbers of people worked in the maritime industries. So I guess might find it of little interest in their world of today, unless it's got a veneer of fun spread over it. And I guess that if it's just thought of as "Fun" then it's soon forgotten, as there's plenty of other bits of fun out there as well. The importance of it all appears, by what you say, to have been removed to get more feet through the door.
I'd have loved to have seen the Turner Exhibition, I wonder how long it runs for?


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I had not been there until I visited my fatally ill brother in 2009.

He kept up a running commentary on his visits there and its decline (especially the disappearance of our supposed ancestor's exhibit).

I was very disappointed. The commemoration of a single battle (important but nopt the only one) and a huge apology for slavery. MN uniforms that were company ones - the bombing of St. Mary Axe (in particular, of course, the Baltic Exchange and Chamber of shipping) printed (in mosaic) as St. Mary's Axe. Chatted to a guide - he was equally disillusioned claiming it had become a conference venue for profit.

I also heard one of the directors on BBC 4 saying that an egg took longer to boil the further down a mountain you were (come on, this is one of the science venues of the museum world).

Don't despair - go up the hill to the Royal Observatory - fabulous. H1 to H4 in working order (NOT replicas by his own hand!) - Here's H3 working (I hope):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeXJKy2hiOw


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## J Gunnig (Sep 23, 2008)

Hello Brent
I went last year I thought it was very poor no ship models no modern stuff at all. Not worth a trip for anyone interested in pre war 20 th century shipping. I am told the is a large collection of high quality models hidden away. They have information on the web site but I could not penetrate it. I found it impossible to break into.
regards John Gunning


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## airds (Jun 14, 2005)

Havent been for about 20 years but even then it was disappointing. As others have said not much modern material and majoring on Naval and art and sail. 

The Science Museum was of a lot more interest to a Marine Engr - although since heard their wonderful displays and models of early engines, props, etc now has disgracefully and sadly has closed. There is a wonderful hitech rendered fly over over off that display hall on the Science Museum website though. Even less reason to visit the capital .....


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

airds said:


> Havent been for about 20 years but even then it was disappointing. As others have said not much modern material and majoring on Naval and art and sail.
> 
> The Science Museum was of a lot more interest to a Marine Engr - although since heard their wonderful displays and models of early engines, props, etc now has disgracefully and sadly has closed. There is a wonderful hitech rendered fly over over off that display hall on the Science Museum website though. Even less reason to visit the capital .....


Whilst I was equally disappointed in the Science Museum the exhibits you are talking of were still open in 2012. Do you remember the little glass case with a telephone selector which responded to the dial mounted for the visitor to try - one could see instantly the idea of an automatic exchange. This has been replaced with an entire Strowger branch exchange - every selector encased in metallic dustcovers. Instead of being able to see the selectors in action the visitors get a recording of the noise the thing made while responding to a dialing.

In Titanic's sad anniversary year where were the successions of marine radio rooms that were a feature throughout my earlier years of visiting - one sad exhibit of 'about 1910 - not even about 1912!

The time gallery was still unbuggered - perhaps more extensive than the RO at Greenwich.


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## MWD (Aug 15, 2005)

Brent Pyburn said:


> I recently visited our national maritime museum, the last time being a couple of years ago. I was extremely disappointed it was like a children's theme park.
> Whilst I understand the need to educate children, surely not at the expense of adult interest and source of serious historical fact. The only redeeming feature was the Turner exhibition, which was excellent. Last month I visited the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam and it was far superior. I would be interested to hear the opinion of others.


On my recent visit I enquired of the staff why the concentration on kids appeal. His answer was that for every child logged as entering they get a subsidy from the taxpayer, end of story!

MWD.


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## 5036 (Jan 23, 2006)

The new transport museum in Glasgow has reduced the ship models to but a few going round on a conveyor like the Generation Game. In Kelvingrove they were all on display and you could walk around them to view them from differing angles. The conveyor system is a huge disappointment.

They have also hung the cars on a wall!! That is every bit as disappointing. Lots of accolades for the creation although I am at a loss to know by who and for what.


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## poseidon9 (Aug 13, 2010)

By the way, is there a library and archive in the National Maritime Museum?
Is one allowed to visit it and look the materials? I was never there (NMM), but I have been to many good maritime museums in many countries. I have actually seen the Cutty Sark, but didn't have time to go inside.


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## Johnny Walker (Mar 27, 2010)

*the Maritime Museum*

I live in London, so I am very fortunate to have a good variety of museums within easily commutable distance. I actually find the docklands museum in the old West India dock more interesting and pertinent from a merchant seamen's point of view. It is specifically about London, but I am sure that the histories of most of the major ports in the U.K. are not dissimilar. It is well worth a visit.


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## Cwatcher (Dec 7, 2013)

"_I recently visited our national maritime museum, the last time being a couple of years ago. I was extremely disappointed it was like a children's theme park._"

This seems to be the way most museums are going which is a great shame. I went to Falmouth recently to visit - amongst other things - the National Maritime Museum & was very disappointed, given the connections it has with the ship repair industry over the last 150 years. There was plenty there for the small boat & sailing enthusiast but precious little about the Merchant Navy. They did have a large library but I didn't have time to peruse it properly. Maybe I was expecting too much.
Was glad to see that some of the old pubs were still there!


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## R736476 (Jul 2, 2005)

I concur with all the above remarks. The decline to a theme park started in the late 90s which must have been very sad for the professionals who worked there.


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## alan ward (Jul 20, 2009)

Brent Pyburn said:


> I recently visited our national maritime museum, the last time being a couple of years ago. I was extremely disappointed it was like a children's theme park.
> Whilst I understand the need to educate children, surely not at the expense of adult interest and source of serious historical fact. The only redeeming feature was the Turner exhibition, which was excellent. Last month I visited the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam and it was far superior. I would be interested to hear the opinion of others.


Me too,as a long term visitor of the museum I was not impressed by the changes,missorted random exhibits with no coherence.Nelsons unform had been replaced by a `virtual`image I can stay at home and see that.One entire floor was taken up by a map of the world so children could see the voyages of the famous,not one of the many young people was showing the slightest interest in it treating as an open area in which to play whilst their mothers enjoyed a coffee from the extremely expensive cafe in situ.No not good at all.


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