Themes
MAST
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MAST worked with staff at the Royal Naval Museum to produce a display of photographs for the Portsea Library, John Pounds Centre, Portsmouth.
The project is called 'Behind the Dockyard Wall' and has been inspired by MAST's visit to the Royal Naval Museum and Portsmouth Dockyard and by the memories of local people.
The bricks of the wall in the display are made up of photographs taken during the group's visit, images and manuscipts from the Royal Naval Museum's collection and postcards written by local people recording their own experiences and memories of Portmouth Dockyard.
A member of the MAST team has written an introduction to the project:
Behind the Dockyard Wall
There can’t be many families with Portsmouth roots whose relatives and ancestors were not intimately connected, through the Dockyard/Naval Base, to the Royal Navy.
Whether preparing or embarking for voyages of exploration, discovery, trade or colonisation, great scientific strides have been made thanks to the men (and, more recently, women) who have served on and supported the efficient running of ships leaving our harbour.
From settling New Worlds, charting unknown water, suppressing slavery and piracy, or defending the interests of the Crown in wars across the world to modern day smuggling prevention, the Royal Navy has always played a pivotal role in this city's fortunes – as the future beckons, with new super-carriers and weapons systems beyond the imagination of our forbearers.
This is a unique glimpse over the dockyard wall created from memories, recollections and anecdotes of local families. A life, which the Royal Naval Museum has preserved and conserved through artefacts, photographs, written and printed documents in its collection to record the amazing story that is the Royal Navy and its civilian workers. England expects . . . . .
Article Highlights:
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Introduction
