Royal Museums Greenwich

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๐ŸŠ It's   Day! We're joining National Lottery Heritage Fund in celebrating our heritage.๐ŸŠ For the occasion, take a look a...
11/01/2024

๐ŸŠ It's Day! We're joining National Lottery Heritage Fund in celebrating our heritage.

๐ŸŠ For the occasion, take a look at the sunniest spot at Queen's House - the Orangery. It used to be the royals' gateway to Greenwich Park's hunting grounds.

๐ŸŠCommissioned in 1619 to Inigo Jones, the Queen's House is the first Classical building in England. It has influenced centuries of British architecture.

(Although it's called the Orangery and we know Queen Henrietta Maria encouraged the cultivation of oranges, there's actually no evidence that oranges were ever grown here. A fruity mystery...)

โœจReach for the stars!โœจEntry for the 2024 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is now open. If you are (or you ...
11/01/2024

โœจReach for the stars!

โœจEntry for the 2024 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is now open. If you are (or you know) a snapper of stars who wants a shot at the prestigious prize, you can find out more and enter the competition NOW here- pass it on! https://bit.ly/APY16-Enter

๐Ÿšค John Everett's 1,058 oil paintings form one of the nation's largest collections by a single artist! Everett's marine w...
10/01/2024

๐Ÿšค John Everett's 1,058 oil paintings form one of the nation's largest collections by a single artist! Everett's marine work forms a unique record of an artist working on ships and painting at sea.

๐Ÿšค He also worked on a series of heavily stylised pictures of Cutty Sark! Did you recognise our beloved historic sailing ship in the cover image?

๐Ÿšค Swipe to find out more about Everett's unique body of work.

Cover image: The 'Cutty Sark' Bow View by John Everett, 1930s
Image #3: Herbert Barnard John Everett, 1877-1949, by William Orpen circa 1900
Image #5: Converting a Cunarder to a Merchant Cruiser by John Everett, 1918
Image #7: A Convoy by John Everett, 1917
Image #9:5/ Breakers Sunset by John Everett

โš“ On January 9, 1806, one of the greatest state occasions of the era took place in England: the funeral of Horatio Nelso...
09/01/2024

โš“ On January 9, 1806, one of the greatest state occasions of the era took place in England: the funeral of Horatio Nelson. The event lasted over five days and was attended by many people.

โš“ As per his request, the celebrated Naval commander's body was placed in a coffin made from the mast of a French ship, L'Orient, which was destroyed during his famous victory at the Battle of the Nile.

โš“ These images are of details of a printed calico fabric made to commemorate the funeral. The design features a series of images including the death of Nelson, Britannia in mourning, and the funeral procession on the Thames and toward St Paulโ€™s.

โš“The event was commemorated with many pieces of printed memorabilia. This piece of material was made into a cushion cover. Our team of curators and conservators is currently working on a wall hanging fabric with the same design as the one in the picture, which you will be able to see (very!) soon at the Queen's House once it reopens following its upcoming period of closure.

โš“ The Queen's House will be closed from January 15 2024, until March 2 2024, while we take out the Van de Veldes exhibition and install some exciting new works including this one. Keep an eye on our page as we'll take you behind the scenes over the next few weeks to see what we have in store* ๐Ÿ‘€

*And indeed coming out of store, and onto display.
** We'll get our coats.

๐ŸŽ™ Giveaway time!๐ŸŽ™๐ŸŽ™We're giving you the chance to win TWO free tickets to an extraordinary comedy-guided tour through our...
08/01/2024

๐ŸŽ™ Giveaway time!๐ŸŽ™

๐ŸŽ™We're giving you the chance to win TWO free tickets to an extraordinary comedy-guided tour through our collection on Saturday 3 February with Art Laughs.

๐ŸŽ™If you win, you'll join comedians, art critics and artist/poets for a comedy guided tour through some of Royal Museums Greenwich's weird and wonderful objects within the nationโ€™s largest maritime collection.

๐ŸŽ™ TO ENTER, comment below and tell us: what piece of art makes you smile every time?

๐ŸŽ™ Get ready to experience a night of art and laughter at the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre!

๐ŸŽจWe're saying a final farewell to the   exhibition on 14 January, but before we do, we're hosting two great events next ...
06/01/2024

๐ŸŽจWe're saying a final farewell to the exhibition on 14 January, but before we do, we're hosting two great events next weekend, that you can come along to for a chance to hear more from experts about the art, craft, and times of the father and son duo.

๐ŸŽจIf you've got an interest in the history of art, head to our Van de Veldes festival, a free day of workshops, tours and more where you can immerse yourself in the world of these 17th century artists. https://bit.ly/WeavingWaves

๐ŸŽจFor those with a more academic interest in textiles and maritime art, book for our symposium, Weaving Waves, which is all about the history and conservation of maritime themed tapestries. We'll have some really interesting and experienced speakers. https://bit.ly/VanDeVeldesFestival

๐ŸŽ‰ Join us at the National Maritime Museum on February 3rd to celebrate  !๐ŸŽ‰ Lunar New Year is for many cultures across As...
03/01/2024

๐ŸŽ‰ Join us at the National Maritime Museum on February 3rd to celebrate !

๐ŸŽ‰ Lunar New Year is for many cultures across Asia the most important festival of the year, marking the start of the new year of the traditional lunisolar calendar, based both on the Moon's phases and the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

๐ŸŽ‰ Immerse yourself in a day of festivities, with workshops, talks, tours and incredible performances, including the incredible lion dances!

Find out more at https://bit.ly/RMGLNY2024

โœจ Explore January's night sky with us.โœจ Look out astrophotographers! While Jupiter keeps on shining brightly in the nigh...
02/01/2024

โœจ Explore January's night sky with us.

โœจ Look out astrophotographers! While Jupiter keeps on shining brightly in the night sky throughout January, it will form a close conjunction with the first quarter Moon on 18 January. The two will move across the sky together from sunset until around 01:00. See if you can capture our natural satellite and the King of the Planets in the same photo.

โœจ 2024 also brings with it the Quadrantid meteor shower, one of the strongest and most consistent meteor showers. It will peak overnight between 3 and 4 January.

๐Ÿ‘‰For more details on these, plus a link to our Look Up! podcast, check out https://bit.ly/NightSkyJan2024. Happy stargazing!

๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ Last two weeks to visit our free exhibition The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and Sea!๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ Not sure who the   were? Swi...
01/01/2024

๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ Last two weeks to visit our free exhibition The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and Sea!

๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ Not sure who the were? Swipe right to find out more about this remarkable father and son.

๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ You can see their stunning work alongside that of some of their contemporaries, and those they influenced, for FREE at the Queen's House until 14 January.

๐ŸŽ† Happy 2024 everyone! ๐ŸŽ†This photo, Grand Cosmic Fireworks, was taken by Angel An and is the winner of the Skyscapes cat...
31/12/2023

๐ŸŽ† Happy 2024 everyone!

๐ŸŽ†This photo, Grand Cosmic Fireworks, was taken by Angel An and is the winner of the Skyscapes category in this year's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.

๐ŸŽ†Angel writes: "I was standing on the highest ridge of the Himalaya mountains, enjoying the dancing lightning sprites like gorgeous fireworks in the night sky. They acted as fairy-like creatures, giving a transient firework show for the audience on Earth. Seeing this extremely rare phenomenon of atmospheric luminescence with such high intensity was something that I have never witnessed before."

๐ŸŒ  What better way to spectacularly kick off the new year than a meteor shower?๐ŸŒ  The Quadrantid meteor shower, among the ...
28/12/2023

๐ŸŒ  What better way to spectacularly kick off the new year than a meteor shower?

๐ŸŒ  The Quadrantid meteor shower, among the strongest and most consistent meteor showers of the year, will peak on 3-4 January 2024.

๐ŸŒ  Bring a comfy chair to sit on, wrap up in warm clothes and find a safe spot away from street lights. Be ready to wait for a while, but the Quadrantid meteor shower can be seen with the naked eye!

๐Ÿ“ธStar Rain ยฉ Yulia Zhulikova.

โš“Life savers, fundraisers, trailblazers: discover the vital roles that women play in saving lives at sea in an upcoming ...
27/12/2023

โš“Life savers, fundraisers, trailblazers: discover the vital roles that women play in saving lives at sea in an upcoming FREE exhibition at the National Maritime Museum.

โš“2024 marks 200 years of RNLI, the organisation devoted to saving life at sea. In this anniversary year, Women of the RNLI at the National Maritime Museum will shine a spotlight on the various roles that women have - and always have had - in this vital charity.

โš“Through the evocative photographs of Jack Lowe, celebrate with us 200 years of lifesaving at sea.

โžก๏ธ The exhibition will be open from 2 March 2024 at the National Maritime Museum.
https://bit.ly/WomenOfTheRNLI

๐Ÿ“ธยฉ Jack Lowe. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich London

๐ŸŒ  The cartoon shows a group of scientists at the Greenwich Observatory desperately trying to observe the comet, with a s...
27/12/2023

๐ŸŒ  The cartoon shows a group of scientists at the Greenwich Observatory desperately trying to observe the comet, with a series of additional lenses being held up to achieve maximum magnification. The small, mischievously smiling comet appears at the top right.

๐ŸŒ  This cartoon by William Heath Robinson was reproduced in 1909 in response to the return of Halley's Comet after its approximately 76-year orbit around the Sun.

โœจ "The first time I saw this place in a photo I thought it was an ancient site like Stonehenge, but this project was onl...
26/12/2023

โœจ "The first time I saw this place in a photo I thought it was an ancient site like Stonehenge, but this project was only started in 1996. It is a colossal stone construction located in Raufarhรถfn, one of the northernmost towns in Iceland."

โœจ Arctic Gates by Daniel Viรฑรฉ Garcia is one of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlisted photographs.

โœจ It is now your turn to vote for your favourite. Click here and vote your favourite for this year's People's Choice Award: https://bit.ly/APY15_PeoplesChoice

โœ‚Super savings! Up to 50% off!โœ‚Our winter sale is now on. Bag yourself a bargain with price reductions of up to 50% off ...
26/12/2023

โœ‚Super savings! Up to 50% off!

โœ‚Our winter sale is now on. Bag yourself a bargain with price reductions of up to 50% off selected items.

New offers are now available, while stocks last: Don't forget you can get free UK shipping on orders over ยฃ50.

Save now

Save on books and gifts from our four sites. Every purchase supports Royal Museums Greenwich. FREE UK standard delivery over ยฃ50!

โ˜ƒ๏ธ Merry Christmas from all of us at Royal Museums Greenwich! Here's Flamsteed House at the Royal Observatory covered in...
25/12/2023

โ˜ƒ๏ธ Merry Christmas from all of us at Royal Museums Greenwich! Here's Flamsteed House at the Royal Observatory covered in snow, from last year.

๐ŸŽ„ Father Christmas is gearing up for the big night! Those of you who don't have a chimney, how does he access your house...
24/12/2023

๐ŸŽ„ Father Christmas is gearing up for the big night! Those of you who don't have a chimney, how does he access your house?

๐ŸŽ„ We hope those who celebrate wake up to some nice treats from Santa tomorrow.

๐ŸŽ„ The picture is a watercolour by William Lionel Wyllie from the early 20th century.

๐ŸŽ Running out of time for Christmas gifts?๐ŸŽ We've got you covered! Our Memberships are the gift that lasts all year long...
23/12/2023

๐ŸŽ Running out of time for Christmas gifts?

๐ŸŽ We've got you covered! Our Memberships are the gift that lasts all year long.

๐ŸŽ All Gift Memberships purchasers will instantly be sent a digital gift voucher. This gift voucher will allow the recipient to activate their Membership, anytime over the next 12 months, whenever is most convenient for them. Find them at: https://bit.ly/RMGMembershipGift

๐ŸŽ Ta-da! Christmas gifts problem, solved. โœ…

โ›ต How do your recreate the Christmas vibe when you're at sea and away from home?โ›ต On board of HMS Taku in 1900 the crew ...
22/12/2023

โ›ต How do your recreate the Christmas vibe when you're at sea and away from home?

โ›ต On board of HMS Taku in 1900 the crew did their best to make the ship look festive with decorations similar to the ones they might have found back at home.

โ›ต The original negative envelope was labelled: "Taku taken from Chinese Xmas Day 1900". HMS Taku was originally named Hai Lung and built for the Chinese Navy by the Germans, launched at Elbing in 1898. Captured by the Royal Navy during the Boxer Rebellion, the ship was renamed Taku after the Taku Forts in northeastern China.

โ„๏ธ A furry friend visited us this time last year! You too can enjoy our beautiful sites over the festive period, but ple...
21/12/2023

โ„๏ธ A furry friend visited us this time last year! You too can enjoy our beautiful sites over the festive period, but please be aware we're closing from Christmas eve to Boxing Day inclusive.

โ„๏ธ Don't worry, we're just taking a short 'paws' for the holidays! We'll be back to welcome you again just in time to ring in 2024.

โ„๏ธ Royal Museums Greenwich will be closed to visitors from 24 to 26 December. The , however, will be open every day apart from Christmas Day.

Happy holidays!

๐ŸŽ„ Have you ever wondered why we have Christmas trees? This picture might be one of the reasons!๐ŸŽ„ While the English arist...
21/12/2023

๐ŸŽ„ Have you ever wondered why we have Christmas trees? This picture might be one of the reasons!

๐ŸŽ„ While the English aristocracy had been aware of the German tradition since the early 1800s, it was Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert - originally from Germany - who helped to make Christmas trees in Britain fashionable.

๐ŸŽ„ An illustrated image of the royal family standing in front of their Christmas tree in the Illustrated London News proved highly influential, inspiring middle-class British families to copy the festive family scene. The Christmas tree became a key part of the ideal Victorian Christmas.

๐Ÿ” We're bringing back   for this beautiful golden piece from 1759.๐Ÿ” Can you guess what it is?
20/12/2023

๐Ÿ” We're bringing back for this beautiful golden piece from 1759.

๐Ÿ” Can you guess what it is?

๐ŸŒŒ "The Isles of Scilly archipelago lies 28 miles to the southwest of the UK mainland. Its most southerly island is St Ag...
19/12/2023

๐ŸŒŒ "The Isles of Scilly archipelago lies 28 miles to the southwest of the UK mainland. Its most southerly island is St Agnes, an island of wonderful contrasts"

"It measures a mile across and there is a permanent population of just 85. It is one of Europeโ€™s best locations to view the Milky Way." - Derek Horlock

๐ŸŒŒ St Agnes by Derek Horlock is one of this year's shortlisted images for Astronomy Photographer of the Year People's Choice award.

โžก It's time for YOU to have your say. Which of our shortlist is your favourite? See the shortlist and vote here https://bit.ly/APY15_PeoplesChoice for it in the People's Choice award.

We'll announce results next year!

โœจ What could the Christmas star have been?โœจ Some of what we know of the Star of Bethlehem was originally included in St....
19/12/2023

โœจ What could the Christmas star have been?

โœจ Some of what we know of the Star of Bethlehem was originally included in St. Matthew's Gospel, and some of it has come down to us as interpretation or embellishment. It mentions three 'Magi' (wise men, magicians or, possibly, astrologers) who left three gifts. It also mentions a 'ฮฑฯƒฯ„ฮตฯฮฑ', which can mean star but also planet.

โœจ There is no mention of the star being particularly bright or to have significance for anyone other than the Magi. However, over the years, there have been many possible explanations suggested for this element of the Christmas story.

Swipe right to find out more.
Image #1: Comet and Mountain by Kevin Palmer
Image #3: Globular Cluster NGC6752 by Roger Hutchinson
Image #5: Disconnection Event by Gerald Rhemann (detail)
Image #7: The Jovian Family by Damian Peach

๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ That face you make when the captain's 'funny' story has been going on for too long...๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ Think you can come up with a ...
17/12/2023

๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ That face you make when the captain's 'funny' story has been going on for too long...

๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ Think you can come up with a caption that'll leave these fine gents chuckling in their frames? Show off your witty side and join the fun by dropping your caption below.

๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ The image shows Vice-Admiral Sir Samuel Cornish, Captain Richard Kempenfelt and Thomas Parry painted by Tilly Kettle in 1768.

๐ŸŽ„ What links James Bond, a Norwegian spy and the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree?๐ŸŽ„ During the war, Fleming worked in Nav...
15/12/2023

๐ŸŽ„ What links James Bond, a Norwegian spy and the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree?

๐ŸŽ„ During the war, Fleming worked in Naval Intelligence and was soon promoted to commander. Close to Christmas, a Norwegian agent arrived in London and due to the adventurous journey he had had, Fleming decided to treat him to a night on the town, including a luxurious meal in the Savoy. According to the story, after this meal, the group noticed two Christmas trees in the agent's gear. The trees had been procured from King Haakon's Summer Palace in Oslo and were intended to be offered to the exiled king.

๐ŸŽ„ It was apparently Fleming who suggested to put one tree up in Trafalgar Square. Under the glow of their tree, the group shared a bottle of Norwegian Aquavit and toasted to the liberation of Norway.

๐ŸŽ„ Since 1947 the Trafalgar tree has been an annual gift from the people of Norway in gratitude for Britain's support during the Second World War.

๐ŸŽ„ This story has been unearthed in a document from our Caird Library and Archive written by Royal Navy admiral Sir Norman Egbert Denning. So next time you're stirred (if not shaken!) by the sight of the tree in Trafalgar Square, you'll know it had an intriguing predecessor...

๐Ÿฝ๏ธ Did you know that the Christmas pudding used to be made with meat? ๐Ÿฝ๏ธ One of its earliest forms in the sixteenth cent...
14/12/2023

๐Ÿฝ๏ธ Did you know that the Christmas pudding used to be made with meat?

๐Ÿฝ๏ธ One of its earliest forms in the sixteenth century was a porridge made with meat, root vegetables and dried fruit, thickened with bread crumbs. This was usually eaten at the beginning of a meal rather than at the end.

๐Ÿฝ๏ธ Eventually the meat disappeared from the dish and it became a suet pudding with raisins soaked in wine or brandy. It wasn't until the mid-seventeenth century that this pudding became associated with Christmas.

๐Ÿฝ๏ธ By Victorian times, the plum pudding had changed into something similar to the ones that are eaten today and would come to embody Christmas, appearing on greeting cards and in satirical cartoons of the time.

๐ŸŽจWillem van de Velde the Elder risked his life to record battles at sea. His detailed drawings earned him international ...
13/12/2023

๐ŸŽจWillem van de Velde the Elder risked his life to record battles at sea. His detailed drawings earned him international acclaim.

๐ŸŽจMore than 300 years after his death on 13 December 1693, his works continue to shape marine art.

๐ŸŽจSee his sketches and drawings in The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea at the Queenโ€™s House โ€“ closing on 14 January https://bit.ly/VanDeVeldesGreenwich

โ„๏ธ Did you know that up until 1814 you might have been able to ice skate on the Thames?โ„๏ธ From Stuart times until 1814, ...
11/12/2023

โ„๏ธ Did you know that up until 1814 you might have been able to ice skate on the Thames?

โ„๏ธ From Stuart times until 1814, the surface of the river Thames froze several times. When it did, it posed a great challenge for local shops, travelling and transportation. Local Londoners decided to start setting up the Thames Frost Fair as a way to still allow trade to continue.

โ„๏ธ The picture, a coloured aquatint from 1814 published by Burkitt & Hudson, shows the last great frost fair, which was held between Monday 31 January and Saturday 5 February 1814. It shows people and tents on the ice off Three Cranes Wharf near Blackfriars in the City.

You can still ice skate with a view of the Thames at our ! More info on our website.

Address

Romney Road
Greenwich
SE109NF

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+442083126565

Website

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