About our collections
The Museum's collections contain over two million items relating to seafaring, navigation, astronomy and time measurement. Many are available to view online.
Search our Collections
Archive catalogue
Library catalogue
Iconic objects
The world's most famous historical timekeepers and solution to the longitude problem, on display in the Time Galleries.
See the jacket Nelson was wearing at Trafalgar, with the bullet-hole in the left shoulder from the fatal shot.
Contact & enquiries
Library items:
E-mail: library@rmg.co.uk
Manuscripts, charts, atlases:
E-mail: manuscripts@rmg.co.uk
See staff profiles of our curators and conservators.
Collections websites
- Collections website - 250,000+ records
- Archive catalogue - 65,000+ records
- Maritime Memorials - 5000+ memorials
- PortCities London - London's maritime history from local archive material
How we manage our collections
The Museum's Collections Reform Project and Collections Development Policy.
Find out how to borrow objects from or donate objects to the Museum.
Archive & Library
View some of the more unusual and intriguing items from the Archive, Library and Manuscripts collections.
No.1 Smithery, Chatham
From 12 May 2011, a new dedicated Collections Research Area will be available at No.1 Smithery for those interested in exploring the united ship model collections of the National Maritime Museum and Imperial War Museum. The new ship models store, managed by the National Maritime Museum, will provide state-of-the-art storage and access to one of the largest groups of ship models in the world.