National Maritime Museum

National Maritime Museum, national museum concerned with the maritime history of Great Britain. It is situated near the River Thames in Greenwich Park, Greenwich, southeast London. With the Queen’s House, the Royal Observatory, and Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum forms the Royal Museums Greenwich.

The National Maritime Museum occupies a building complex that was once the home of the Greenwich Royal Hospital School. The centre of the complex is the Queen’s House, which was designed by Inigo Jones and completed in 1635 for Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I. It was built on the grounds of the former Tudor royal palace where Elizabeth I was born. During the 19th century two wings were added after the complex became a school for the orphans of sailors. The west wing was further enlarged later in that century. The museum was established by act of Parliament in 1934, and, following renovation of the buildings left vacant by the school (1933–35), it occupied the complex in 1937. In subsequent decades the complex underwent a number of renovations, and the National Maritime Museum’s collection was reorganized. By the 21st century the entrance to the museum had shifted to the west wing, where the main galleries of the museum were located.

The collections of the National Maritime Museum are diverse and extensive. The holdings of ship models and plans date from the 17th century. There is also a significant collection of boats from prehistoric times, but most of the vessels date from the 19th century and later. A fine collection of navigational and astronomical instruments includes outstanding globes and chronometers. The museum has a particularly fine group of Dutch and British marine artworks, including 1,400 drawings by the 17th-century artists Willem van de Velde the Elder and Willem the Younger. It also contains much decorative art (often of a commemorative nature), other memorabilia, and an extensive archive that includes film and photographs. Special attention is paid to such mariners as Lord Horatio Nelson and James Cook.

The Queen’s House exhibits the National Maritime Museum’s art collection. It includes works by Peter Lely, Anthony Van Dyck, William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds, George Romney, and J.M.W. Turner as well as works by such 21st-century artists as Kehinde Wiley, Richard Wright, Christy Symington, and Tania Kovats.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich, also located in the park, is administered by the museum. The observatory was founded by Charles II in 1675 and marks the 0° longitude meridian. It contains much historical material relating to the site and also houses a planetarium.

The last component of the Royal Museums Greenwich is Cutty Sark, a historical three-masted British clipper ship located in a concrete dry berth near the National Maritime Museum. After an extensive renovation, it opened to the public in 1957. Visitors can explore the ship, its cabins, the main deck, and a collection of Merchant Navy ship figureheads.