Exhibitions at the museums

The Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum is proud to display a vivid and moving new Titanic exhibition. 'TITANIC – Southampton Remembers' reveals the story of the crew members that lost their lives, a very large number of whom came from Southampton, and the passengers who were onboard. The exhibition uses archive film footage, interviews with survivors and unique artefacts to provide an insight into the tragic loss of the Titanic and why the disaster continues to fascinate, 95 years after she went to her watery grave.
This exhibition is on permanent display.

Cruising with The Queens

19 June 2010 – 30 Jan 2011

This display celebrates the famous “Cunard Queens” – ocean liners named after British queens: the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.
The exhibition features ship models, posters, photographs, souvenirs, menus, deck plans and brochures selected from the city’s maritime collection, which all bring to life this special part of Southampton’s heritage.

Museum of Archaeology

Touchstone unearthed in Medieval Southampton

Southampton City Council’s expert archaeology team have uncovered a medieval touchstone, used to identify gold, while excavating at Westgate Hall (formerly known as Tudor Merchants Hall).

Dr Andy Russel from Southampton Archaeology said
“It’s a very smooth bar of black stone (the best stones came from Turkey, where Midas was King in the 6th century BC). Gold of different purities were rubbed across the stone and left streaks (touches). Gold of unknown purity could be rubbed on an adjacent face and compared with the set of known streaks. In skilled hands and eyes it was apparently very accurate. Two streaks are still visible in the recovered stone.

This is the first touchstone ever found in medieval Southampton and shows that a rich merchant who dealt with gold on a regular basis lived closeby to where it was uncovered. Possibly the medieval Richard of Southwick whose house was excavated nearby in the 1960s.”

A small display of the finds from this excavation are now on display in the Museum of Archaeology.

The Museum is now open following refurbishment work to the ground floor, the improvements include a new toilet, learning space, and retail area.