After a six-year closure, the museum will reopen to the public on 8th August after a multi-million-pound renovation and will feature a globally significant scrimshaw collection.
Hull Maritime Museum has been closed since January 2020 for an extensive refurbishment costing £20.4m. The reimagined museum has increased its display space by 50% within the city’s former Dock Offices, a Grade II-listed building.
Around 1,300 objects will be displayed across galleries and open storage spaces, many of which will be on public display for the first time. Groups can expect to see exhibits that explore Hull’s rich maritime story, including fishing, whaling, global trade and exploration.
Highlights will include objects carried on Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition to Antarctica, a skeleton of an endangered North Atlantic right whale and the wooden dog figurehead from Sirius, the first steamship to complete a transatlantic crossing under steam power in 1838.
Scrimshaw collection featuring incredible folk art
Among the newly exhibited objects will be a scrimshaw collection that is considered to be the largest outside of the United States. Scrimshaw is a traditional folk art of engraving illustrations into bone, ivory or shell. A scrimshaw tooth linked to the Hull whaling ship Truelove will be one of the rare objects on display.
Also forming part of the scrimshaw gallery will be a sperm whale tooth decorated with the Phoenix of London by American scrimshaw artist Edward Burdett. The collection will be displayed in a dedicated gallery space for the first time.
Robin Diaper, curator of social and maritime history, said: “Our nationally significant collections will reveal not only Hull’s role as one of Britain’s great maritime cities, but also the human stories, creativity and global connections that grew from life at sea.”
The transformation includes a new community exhibition space that will feature objects, images and film from local organisations. The space will also be used to host major loans and touring exhibitions.
Maritime highlights in Hull
Hull is Yorkshire’s only maritime city and its attractions have undergone widespread restoration in recent months. The Spurn Lightship reopened in March following an extensive refurbishment, offering an immersive insight into its vital role in guiding other ships safely through the Humber Estuary.
The Queen’s Gardens, directly opposite the Maritime Museum, have also undergone a transformation to turn what was once the largest dock in the UK into a quiet green space in the heart of the city.
Free maritime guided walks around the city are also available to groups, led by volunteers and accredited White Badge Guides.
From 8th August, Hull Maritime Museum will be free to visit and open daily.
For more information on the reopening and wider things to do in Hull visit: maritimehull.co.uk.
