Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Colin Bishop on April 19, 2012, 10:10:20 pm

Title: Southampton Sea City Museum
Post by: Colin Bishop on April 19, 2012, 10:10:20 pm
I visited Sea City today with a couple of friends and I would rate it as worth a visit. Approximately half the space is taken up with a well conceived and tasteful Titanic exhibition. People may be 'fed up' with Titanc exposure at the moment but if anywhere is entitled to commemorate the ship then is must be Southampton where many of the crew had their homes. I thought the whole thing was well conceived and not at all over the top.

Other space is devoted to the development of Southampton over the centuries as a port and contains many interesting exhibits. Unfortunately, what seems to have got lost along the way is the majority of the fascinating collection of exhibits and models formerly displayed in the old Maritime Museum at the medieval Wool House on the waterfront. The only significant model to have survived seems to be the magnificent one of the old Queen Mary which is displayed in splendour in the new building. (See here from what has been lost: http://www.modelboats.co.uk/news/article.asp?a=7072 )

There is also a ground floor display devoted to Titanic myths and facts which has a number of interesting exhibits.

The only other comment I would make is that a lot of the displays are interactive which is fine while they are working but my experience is that these things tend to break down fairly frequently and are expensive to maintain. A traditional model in a glass case doesn't break down and gives a unique three dimensional impression of the original. Unfortunately models are rather out of favour with the curating classes these days.

Colin