Licensing Opportunities
National Maritime Museum, The Queen’s House, Royal Observatory, Greenwich
National Maritime Museum The National Maritime Museum, at the heart of the spectacular Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, includes the main Museum galleries, the 17th-century Queen’s House and the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Welcoming over 1.7 million visitors each year, the Museum is one of the ten most-visited attractions in the United Kingdom. With the world’s largest and finest maritime and astronomical collections, the National Maritime Museum tells the story of over 400 years of Britain’s relationship with the sea, time and the stars. The licensing programme provides an opportunity to share in that relationship and benefit from investing in our extraordinary heritage. Whether you require design inspiration, endorsement or the rights to reproduce an item from its collections, the Museum offers licensing opportunities for your business. Cover image: Tulip Stairs in the Queen’s House. Left: Glass roof of the Museum’s Neptune Court. Top right: Neptune Court. Bottom right: The Museum illuminated for a corporate event.
The Queen’s House Completed around 1638 by Inigo Jones, Surveyor of Works to James I and Charles I, this famous ‘house of delight’ introduced England to the beauties of Palladian architecture. Once a richly furnished summer villa for Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, it is now an elegant setting for fine art and entertaining, and displays the history of Greenwich in paintings from the Museum’s world-class art collection. As the first purely classical Renaissance building in Britain, the Queen’s House has continued to inspire succeeding generations. The magnificent Tulip Stairs and original chequered marble floor of the Great Hall are two of the famous features of this finely proportioned and historic royal house.
Left: The Great Hall. Top right: Inigo Jones (1573 – 1652), by Hogarth after van Dyck. Queen Henrietta Maria (1609 – 69), studio of Anthony van Dyck. Bottom right: The Queen’s House illuminated for a corporate event.
Royal Observatory, Greenwich The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian (Longitude 0째), is one of the most important historic scientific sites in the world. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1675, and originally built to resolve the navigational problem of longitude, it is the official starting point for each new day, year and millennium. Today the Royal Observatory is a vivid and inspiring place in which to explore the story of time and astronomy, and attracts over one million visitors each year. As well as the Meridian Line, the Royal Observatory includes interactive Time and Astronomy galleries, a state-of-the-art Learning Centre and an award-winning planetarium which provides a spectacular introduction to the night sky and unknown universe beyond.
Left: Exterior of the Peter Harrison Planetarium. Top right: Weller Astronomy Galleries. Right: Watching a show in the Peter Harrison Planetarium.
Mapping the heavens From its beginnings, the Royal Observatory has
The Royal Observatory houses a magnificent collection
been associated with some of history’s most prominent
of scientific instruments, including astronomical telescopes,
astronomers: John Flamsteed (the first Astronomer
orreries and celestial globes. Among them is the world’s
Royal), Edmond Halley, Isaac Newton and Neville
eighth-largest refracting telescope, built in 1894 and still
Maskelyne are just some of the renowned scientists
in good working condition.
who have played a part in the Royal Observatory’s story. Today, the astronomers and specialists working at the
There are many opportunities to enhance your business
Observatory offer visitors a stimulating introduction to the
through association with the Royal Observatory’s
mysteries and wonders of the universe by answering
prestigious reputation and brand.
questions in planetarium shows, educational workshops and in the Astronomy galleries.
Background: The Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Center: Portable equatorial refracting telescope, 1780, by Dolland. Right: ‘Selenographia’ (moon globe), 1797, by John Russell RA.
‘Centre of time and space’ Greenwich is world-renowned for its association with time. In 1884 an international convention confirmed Longitude 0° at Greenwich as the Prime Meridian of the World, the place where East meets West. The Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory marks the official starting point for every new day, month and year and truly represents ‘the centre of time and space’. The National Maritime Museum collections held at the Observatory include a range of the finest precision timepieces and related astronomical instruments ever made.
Left: Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Right: John Harrison’s first marine timekeeper,’H1’.
Ceramics and glassware Ceramics and glass decorated with ships and nautical patterns were popular for domestic use, such as dinner services and ornaments, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. The National Maritime Museum’s collection includes some of the finest examples, from common household items to services from the White Star Line and from Queen Victoria’s Royal Yacht, Victoria and Albert. These collections are ideal for unique reproduction table services, collectors’ editions and home-ware design products.
Left: Delftware bowl. Centre: Large baluster shaped vase, depicting Hope, about 1795. Right: Glass rummer with an engraving of the Battle of Trafalgar.
Rank and style: textiles Nautical style has influenced historical and contemporary fashion ever since naval uniform was introduced – from 1748 in Britain. From the origins of the modern blazer, to the grander tailoring of uniforms, the National Maritime Museum’s textile collections are rich in colour, texture and style, and an ideal source for creative design patterns, fashion and craftwork products.
Left: Royal Marines pattern coat, 1830. Centre: The first child’s sailor suit, made in 1846 for Edward VII, when he was a boy. Right: Sleeve of a full-dress Royal Naval uniform, 1856.
Plans and models The National Maritime Museum holds the finest and largest collection of ship plans and models in the world, some dating from the 17th century. Over 2000 models and one million plans represent the highest quality craftsmanship, by makers and draughtsmen, including those of the exquisite Admiralty Board models, dockyard apprentices, other professional makers and enthusiasts. The Museum’s prestigious brand adds historical credibility to model kits and the collections can be used for design and building purposes. Some plans can also be used decoratively, for application to home products and in other design work.
Background: A plan showing the method of fixing a sprung mainmast in HMS Rover, 1832. Right: Model ship of 110 guns, about 1800.
Antiquities The antiquities collection is very diverse, including pieces of practical shipboard furniture, stylish Louis Vuitton travel luggage and other refined and stately items, such as a magnificent collection of terrestrial globes. Nelson and Emma Hamilton’s personal writing boxes and furniture are just some of the objects among the Museum’s unique holdings. This collection is ideal for unique bespoke reproduction furniture, or design ideas for home products.
Left: Terrestrial floor globe, 1650. Center: Nelson’s writing box, 1798. Right: Italian 18th-century pier table. Background: Plans for the Resolute desk (1850) still used by the President of the United States.
Cartography and hydrography Maps and charts have long been essential tools of the navigator. The National Maritime Museum’s unrivalled collection covers the globe’s rivers, seas and oceans, and ranges from examples used by early 16th-century explorers to those plying the trade routes of the 19th and 20th centuries. Maps of international port cities and towns, and a fine collection of the county maps of Great Britain are also included. The cultural detail and colourful splendour of this collection makes it a rich source of ideas for decorative art and design.
Right: John Speed, ‘A new and accurate map of the World’, 1626.
Image collections With over 4000 oil paintings and 60,000 prints and drawings, the National Maritime Museum’s collections are rich and varied. Ship portraits, coastal scenes and seascapes form the staple of the collection, but it also includes royal and other portraits, scenes of exploration and endeavour, and places and people in many parts of the world. The Historic Photographs collection includes over 250,000 historic negatives and over one million prints, the earliest image dating from 1844. This remarkable collection represents a broad sweep of social and maritime history including life at sea, trade, port cities, coastal towns and villages, exploration, conflict and travel.
Right: The deck of the barque Endymion in a heavy sea, by John Everett, 1876 – 1949.
Products under licence from our collections China cup with Rosselli’s ‘Map of the World’ by Hudson and Middleton. Tie inspired by the interior mechanism of Harrison’s ‘H4’chronometer by Fox and Chave. Trafalgar chess set by the Traditional Games Company. HMS Surprise model kit by Artesania Latina. Crystal goblet by Tudor Crystal. Nelson’s chair, replica made by Linley.
Background: The Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805, by J. M. W. Turner
Your product, our brand; an investment in heritage. The National Maritime Museum’s brand represents over 400 years of maritime, scientific and cultural history. Whether you are looking for inspiration for a product, or for endorsement, there are limitless opportunities using our brand and collections. By investing in the licensing programme you are also investing in heritage. As a not-for-profit organization, the Museum puts all income back into funding its heritage work on behalf of the nation – towards the care of its existing collections, to help future acquisitions and to support the public interpretation and education programmes based on them. For further information please contact: Licensing Manager E-mail licensing@nmm.ac.uk Tel +44 (0)20 8312 6727 Image: Tulip Stairs in the Queen’s House.
Image: Conservation work on Nelson’s uniform coat, worn at the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805. Background: The Death of Nelson, 21 October 1805, by A.W. Devis
Right: Terrestrial table globe Jacob Aertsz Colom, about 1640.
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF T: 020 8312 6727