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The story behind... The Keeper of All The Secrets

Artist Jacqueline Bishop speaks to historian Stella Dadzie about the influences behind her ceramic artwork, now on display in the Queen’s House

The loss of the SS Freshfield

Our archives hold a small collection of papers related to David Lawson, master of a cargo steamer that disappeared in 1905 after leaving the coast of America to return to Europe. They offer clues on what became of SS Freshfield on its journey home.

The Syren and Shipping Illustrated

The Syren and Shipping Illustrated was a weekly journal for the merchant shipping industry, published 1887-1967.

Opium and Empires workshop

A recent visit to the Caird Library by students from the School of Oriental and African Studies shows that making collections accessible is a two-way street.

How coffee has shaped Britain's maritime history

This blog looks at how a seemingly insignificant bean provided the stimulus to advancements in naval intelligence, technology, trade and science

Lascars and British merchant shipping

For our latest Caird Library and Archive display case we highlight the lives of lascars serving on board British ships, as well as their often precarious situation in Britain.

A closer look at the Thames lightermen and watermen

In this blog we look at the larger-than-life characters who carried people and goods on London’s river in centuries gone by.

Knotted histories: addressing Britain's colonial legacy through crochet

Meet Sarah Hawke, the artist behind a new crochet kanga on display at the National Maritime Museum

Pollution in the River Thames: a history

Lifeline, water source, sewer – follow the murky history of London's relationship with the River Thames