Thousands of maritime artefacts stored in new facility ahead of museum’s reopening

800 YEARS OF HISTORY: Paintings in the new storage facility

By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor

More than 45,000 objects from the city’s maritime reserve collection have been relocated to a new storage centre.

The artefacts were in storage while the facility was being refurbished. The objects, each a physical reminder of Hull’s rich maritime past, started returning last year and since then 25 trucks have transported them back to the city.

The city council’s museum team cares for the reserve collection, which represents every aspect of Hull’s 800 years of maritime history.

This store will transform the way the collection is cared for through more stable conditions and through conservation and research.

Robin Diaper, curator of maritime and social history, said: “This new storage centre represents a significant investment in the preservation and care of our maritime heritage, ensuring their protection for generations to come.

“We are committed to maintaining the integrity of these artefacts and ensuring that they are available for future research and exhibitions. Our small team has worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality, and we are incredibly proud of the result.”

The collections were brought back in a specific order to enable the stores to be organised systematically. Collections have been recorded on a database and located on specialist racking.

An ongoing process of documentation, condition checking and sorting will ensure the best care and access.

The Maritime Museum’s reserve collection includes a diverse array of artefacts, ranging from historical documents and navigational instruments to ship models and maritime paintings.

Previously stored within the Maritime Museum, this new storage facility dedicated to the museum’s reserve collection will enable the museum itself to open a new floor to visitors, uncovering more of the Victorian architecture. This will also enable the museum to showcase 50 per cent more maritime treasures, many on display for the first time.

When the museum reopens, which is scheduled for spring next year, select artefacts will be periodically displayed in special exhibitions.