Museum Tour- Page 2 of 13

You are now standing under two huge bronze guns suspended from the roof. We call this the discovery and salvage area. Beyond them there are the barrels of two wrought iron guns as well as display boards telling the story of the 16th and 19th century salvage attempts.

One of the iron guns was discovered in 1970, before the actual site of the ship, thus enabling the area being searched to be narrowed. The exhibit in front of you deals with the early history of the Mary Rose project and sits below a 'silent' screen showing some of the people involved in the salvage and recovery process.

The reception desk

The case with the triangular opening is a life size display showing two divers working on the wreck. You have to really peer into this case: the visibility reflects that of the site, and on a fairly good day at that! This display has buttons on the right hand side which offer a commentary in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. In the same area is a small case showing information about the underwater excavation, the volunteer divers and the salvage. This includes a model of the lifting frame and cradle used to raise the wreck.

The body of the museum is split more or less in two, the left hand side being a long aisle, flanked by displays on both sides. Let us zig-zag down the aisle, looking at each display as we come to it. The cases are environmentally controlled, with set light, temperature and relative humidity levels. This ensures that the artefacts inside are preserved for future generations to enjoy.

 

 

 

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