Essential information
| Type |
Talks and tours
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|---|---|
| Location | |
| Date and times | Wednesday 11 November 2026 | 6.30-9pm |
| Prices | Adults: £20 | Members: £16 |
| Discount for Members. Not a Member? Join now |
At this special evening event at Cutty Sark, author and Royal Museums Greenwich curator Dr Aaron Jaffer will give an overview of his recently published book, Black and Asian Seafarers: A Visual History, featuring fascinating images from the collections of Royal Museums Greenwich and beyond.
This will be followed by contributions from volunteers who helped with the colossal task of scouring Royal Museums Greenwich archives for Barbadians, Bengalis, Hongkongers and many other different crew members.
During the evening, you'll be able to explore the new display Black and Asian seafarers in the age of Cutty Sark, which draws on research from the book and the findings from volunteers.
The event will also include a book signing, with books available to purchase at a special event-only discounted price.
Your ticket includes one glass of wine or a soft drink, plus a £3 discount on Black and Asian Seafarers: A Visual History (original price: £25). Ticket sales will close at 11.59pm on 4 November.
About the book
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Black and Asian Seafarers: A Visual History (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2026)
The book covers three historically important groups: Black seafarers, Indian Ocean seafarers (known as 'lascars') and Chinese seafarers. As historians have shown, these hardworking men could be found on many different British ships across several centuries. Some, for example, sailed with Tudor explorer Francis Drake on his famous circumnavigation voyage or fought with naval hero Horatio Nelson at the ferocious Battle of Trafalgar; others faced torpedoes, mines and enemy capture during the twentieth century’s two World Wars.
These crewmembers appear in a huge array of artwork (including grand history paintings, sketches in private diaries, illustrated music scores, boys' magazines and a Sherlock Holmes story) and photography (including personal snapshots, studio portraits and official wartime images).
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Also appearing in the book are other fascinating figures from the Museum’s rich visual holdings. This includes Asian nannies who looked after the children of colonial families (ayahs and amahs), the Church of England's first Black bishop (The Reverend Samuel Ajayi Crowther), a famous Chinese performer now buried in Bournemouth ('Chang Woo Gow', allegedly 8ft tall), an Indian convict transported to the Andaman Islands and the celebrated 'Ghan' cameleers who crossed the Australian outback.
Years of curatorial 'detective work', aided by a team of specially recruited volunteers, has been required to find many of these images from within the archives.
Come along on 11 November to find out more.
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Photograph of a Chinese boy seafarer named Lee Ming, from an album compiled by Captain W.G. Ward-Smith, about 1928, ALB1367.105 (c) Crown copyright. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
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Photograph of a Sierra Leonian naval rating standing to attention, 1945, PET/37/6 (c) Crown copyright. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
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Meet the author: Dr Aaron Jaffer
Our Curator of World History and Cultures, Dr Aaron Jaffer has worked at Royal Museums Greenwich for over ten years. He manages 'Unlocking Collections', which helped provide many of the images in Black and Asian Seafarers: A Visual History.
Begun in 2017, this ambitious project finds, catalogues, digitises and disseminates overlooked images from the Museum's vast holdings. Before joining us, Dr Jaffer worked on various gallery and research projects at the River & Rowing Museum, Chatsworth House and The Fitzwilliam Museum.
Black and Asian seafarers in the age of Cutty Sark
Discover stories of sailors from around the world who served on Cutty Sark, and other British naval and merchant ships
What’s on
More talks and tours at Royal Museums Greenwich.
