Museum blog

The Royal Navy has a tradition of selecting warship names that reflect its aggressive ethos, good examples being Victory, Dreadnought and Invincible. However, this is neatly counterbalanced by an equal penchant for other names that range from place names (Nottingham), to flowers (Gladiolus) to the charming (Coquette) with occasional stops for the downright bizarre (Gay Forester).

For a short period between her 14th and 16th birthdays, necessity forced Emma Hamilton into Covent Garden, the heart of London’s sex trade. Ahead of her talk at Seduction Late on 14 February, Catherine Curzon traces the life of another extraordinary woman drawn to London’s sex trade.

On 14 February, Emma Hamilton cordially invites you to the National Maritime Museum for an evening of dancing, gaming, exquisite conversation and revelry. Illustrious fellow guest and expert dancer Mrs Bennet shares her excitement getting ready for the ball… 

Muse is the third post in our series exploring the many fascinating identities Emma Hamilton held throughout her life. It explores Emma's rise to fame, in collaboration with the famous artist George Romney.

Caroline Paige reveals the untold story of what it meant to be transgender in the British military before and after permissive LGBT service, the highs and the lows, in peacetime and in war.

February will be a good month for Moon viewing including a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. 

Journals are not naturally the first place that maritime researchers turn to; however, one that deserves investigating is The Nautical Magazine.