Nelson & His World

The Casson Mann consultancy has been appointed to the gallery exhibition design project for the new Naval ‘flagship’ gallery for the National Maritime Museum, due to open in summer 2014. The title is 'Navy, Nation and Nelson 1688 - 1815', and Casson Mann, say it is about the relationship between those three things. 'The exhibition will show new things about Admiral Lord Nelson and put into context a hero of that magnitude'.

The gallery space of 250 sq metres is situated within the existing Navigation gallery, will be 'very object-rich, aiming to demonstrate the effects of the Navy and Nelson on people at the time, and on the national sense of place within the world'. According to Casson Mann, the budget for the gallery project will exceed £1 million.

More here: http://www.designweek.co.uk/news/casson ... 91.article

Is this an exhibition?

Tony,

This all sounds very grand, but will it actually actually come up with the goods - or be watered down for Mr Average?
That's fine, if there is something there for the serious historian or enthusiast, but very often this is not the case and I'm afraid I have lost some faith in the NMM over the last few years. Sometimes I think they are swayed by other considerations than maritime history!

I presume the NMM will be saying something about this themselves? I was also thinking 'how times have changed' – when exhibitions were devised and set up by the museum themselves, not some outside body with no apparent interest in maritime history.

Maybe I'm being too pessimistic and it might be the opposite. However, do I note a trace of the former in your post?

Stephen, yes, it's the new permanent naval exhibition/gallery that replaces the previous Nelson's Navy Gallery which closed for the building of the Sammy Ofer Wing.

The new gallery is supposed to open in 2013, not 2014 as it says in the article.

Kester, no, I didn't intend to imply anything negative in my choice of words - I was merely quoting from the article. I am optimistic that with that sort of budget and that much space they can create something that will really interest and inspire both the expert and the casual visitor. But they do have a very difficult balancing act to perform not just between expert and casual visitor, but also between Nelson and the Royal Navy. Even the name of the previous gallery was a travesty. To describe the Royal Navy of the time as Nelson's Navy does such disservice to the understanding of its history. I hope the new exhibition will keep Nelson in his proper context and do more to explain British naval history.

Another problem is that the glitter of objects such as gold medals and dress swords conveys nothing of life in the navy at the time. But the contrast between the lives of officers and of seamen should be an interesting theme, especially if the astonishing loyalty of the seamen can also somehow be portrayed (and pertinent to the present day as well). I believe (from second-hand comments) that there is an intention to tell the stories of some individuals in order to provide a geater feel for the time.

I hope they will also move a million miles away from the dark, funereal atmosphere of the previous gallery, with such appalling lighting that you couldn't even see the objects properly!

Ok, Tony, it's just me then!

I do however agree with what else you say, and certainly about the previous gallery. What made it even more funeral was the fact that one could hear the music from it practically all over the exhibition!

Well, only time will tell, and I am sure I will pay a visit. I haven't actually been for some time. I also take it that this is possibly where the Selling flags are to be exhibited?