Our free talks cover a range of fascinating subjects, from maritime art and naval strategy to Black History and museum exhibitions.
Everyone is welcome at our Maritime History and Culture Seminars and there is no need to book.
Seminars typically include a 45-minute talk followed by a short Q&A session. They provide an opportunity to hear from experts, find out about new research and meet people working in exciting fields.
Currently all seminars are taking place online via Zoom webinars. Please check the event listings for links and information on how to join.
What’s On
Upcoming Maritime History and Culture Seminars.
Previous seminars in this series
Benjamin Fletcher (1890–1949): The Most Important Black American Docker You've Never Heard Of
Join us for a free online talk on Benjamin Harrison Fletcher, a Black labour leader from Philadelphia who played a major role in organising American dockers during the first half of the twentieth century
A Sea of Troubles: Shakespeare’s Narratives of the Sea
Dr Anjna Chouhan examines Shakespeare’s contradictory narratives of the sea.
Oral Histories: Challenges and Opportunities
Oral histories offer a unique insight into the past and deserve a place in every major museum collection
'Always watching for distant sails’? New England Women and the Sea, 1790-1890
Dr Lisa Norling explores the history of New England shipping, fishing and whaling from the vantage point of the women on shore.
'We want eight and we won't wait!': Democracy, Strategy and the Navy on the eve of the First World War
Dr David Morgan-Owen offers a new perspective on the relationship between the people, the government and the Navy in Britain before 1914
Previous seminars in this series also include:
- Shakespeare and the sea (Anjna Chouhan, 2020-21)
- An early Dutch account of Aboriginal Australia (Liam Benison, 2020-21)
- Archival disputes between Britain, India and Pakistan (Rakesh Ankit, 2020-21)
- Diversity aboard the Mary Rose (Alex Hildred, 2019-20)
- Boredom and the British Empire (Jeffrey Auerbach, 2019-20)
- Mental health at sea (Catherine Beck, 2018-19)
- Tea drinking in British culture (Markman Ellis, 2018-19)
- Finnish seamen and domesticity (Laika Nevalainen, 2017-18)
- Benjamin Lay and abolition (Marcus Rediker, 2017-18)
- Seafaring in the Mediterranean and Atlantic from prehistory to AD 1500 (Barry Cunliffe, 2017-18)
Main image: Cullercoats, Northumberland (G2417, © National Maritime Museum)