Ships Clocks and Stars

5 May–30 October 2016

Discover the extraordinary nautical instruments that led to maritime history’s greatest scientific breakthrough.

For hundreds of years, European merchants staked their fortunes on long-distance voyages. Travel at sea was dangerous and safe passage relied on fair weather and effective navigation. Unlike on land, the sea has no fixed points to help seamen determine their position. This could lead to unnecessarily long voyages or the loss of ships, cargo and life.

Travelling from the National Maritime Museum, London, this award-winning exhibition tells the story of the search for better ways of navigating by finding longitude - distance east and west. It was a problem that had frustrated the greatest minds since the late 1400s. Three hundred years ago the first Longitude Act offered life-changing rewards for workable solutions. Eventually two emerged - using clocks and stars - which cracked the longitude problem and helped re-shape our understanding of the world.

Acclaim for Ships, Clocks & Stars

‘The display is often breathtakingly beautiful: early instruments of sculptural beauty, brass shining through the dimness, revered original documents, arching glass globes and artful video displays.’

– Libby Purves, The Times