This month we investigate a small notebook from the Journal and Diary collection (RMG reference: JOD/325), kept by Thomas Edward Chilvers from the time he was serving in the Merchant Navy onboard the ship Empire Baffin. The Journal and Diary collection offers a fascinating insight into life at sea in the Royal and Merchant Navy, the fields of exploration and leisure activities in the words of those who contributed to laying the foundations of Britain’s maritime heritage.

All Aboard HMS NHS!

Seafaring has always been a physically and mentally demanding role. To mark Day of the Seafarer we have invited the Seafarers Hospital Society to share about their role in promoting seafarer welfare during the last 200 years. The Seafarers Hospital Society's original Admission Registers are held in the National Maritime Museums' Caird Library, where they can be accessed either digitally or in person by booking in advance (See https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/caird-library )

Discover what to see in the night sky in July 2021, including a celestial teapot and the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn.

Did the polluted waters of the Thames contribute to Britain's worst inland waterway tragedy?

The Caird Library and Archive has several primary and secondary materials relating to marine artists. One of the highlights of our collection is the illustrated logbooks of Nicholas Pocock (1740-1821).

Ship's biscuits or hard tack was a vital part of a seaman's diet in the years before the introduction of canned food in the mid-nineteenth century. Try the ship biscuit diet for yourself by following our recipe!