Collections

Port and river collection

The Port of London Authority (PLA) collection was transferred to the Museum of London in 1975. It contains historic items that were collected by the East and West India Dock Company in the 19th century, especially commodity samples from all over the world.

The PLA material includes cargo handling equipment and dock trade tools. The bulk of the collection was acquired between 1979 and 1990, the period that saw the closure of the West India and Millwall Docks and the Royal Group of Docks and the beginning of the redevelopment of Docklands.

Vessels

Traditional Thames craft include a PLA watermen’s skiff (c.1930), the West India Dock skiff, Thames (1934), Hammerton’s Ferry skiff, the Pax (c.1900), Wey Barge Perseverance IV (1935), the launch tug Varlet (1937) and the ex-steam tug Knocker White (1924).

Cargo handling equipment

Objects reflect every aspect of the loading and unloading, the handling, sampling and processing of commodities in the port. They include winches and cranes, hand trucks and carts and many varieties of dock hook. Weighing equipment ranges in size from the large beam scales to desktop scales for weighing individual cigars.

Navigation, moorings and salvage

Material in this category includes ship’s compasses, sextants, marker and mooring buoys, ship and tug pennants, anchors, diving and salvage gear, including the traditional helmet, canvas suit, weighted boots and hand-powered fresh-air pumps.

Models

A range of Thames river craft, sailing ships and steamer models form part of the collection. Important models include the Lord Mayor of London’s barge by Searle & Co., a City of London Harbour Master’s skiff, Brewers, Chester, and Galley Quay in the City of London, c.1850 and two large 1870s half-models of HMS Northumberland built at the Millwall Ironworks.

Port and related trades

This part of the collection is very comprehensive. It includes material relating to barge and boat building, cooper’s and carpenter’s tools, chain testing machinery, engineering pattern-making tools with a large selection wooden patterns, paint and colour making equipment,  paper and board making, rice milling, rigger’s and sail-makers’ equipment, shipwright’s tools and ship-chandler’s and tinsmith’s equipment.

Specialist trades and equipment

Objects relate to a wide range port and river professions including customs and excise officers, dock police, trade union officials, surveyor’s, railway workers and dock administrative staff. There is a very large group of signs and notices that relate to port and river work. Items from London’s 18th and 19th century Greenland and South Sea Whale Fisheries include a try-pot, harpoons, scrimshaw and whale bone.

Please note

The Museum of London is undergoing a huge redevelopment and the galleries stop at 1666, with the exception of objects in temporary exhibitions. Objects will still be available for individual study by appointment: please apply to the Later London history department on 020 7814 5750.