Portsmouth Historic Dockyard’s Industrial Heritage Display
Dates: 29th June - 5th July, 2009 – Boathouse 7
Visitors to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will be able to see how the Naval Base was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution, when a temporary poster exhibition on the Block Mills, the world’s first mass production factory, will be on display in Boathouse 7 from 29th June – 5th July 2009. The exhibition is financially sponsored by Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust, owner of Boathouse 7.
The Portsmouth Panopticon uses the Block Mills as an example of a school of thought emerging at the start of the 19th century.
The Block Mills (1803) became the world’s first complete steam-powered factory with block making machinery that was essential to supply the fleet. At the time the country was at war with France against a backdrop of emerging industrialisation.
PhD student Katariina Mauranen considers the impact this had on the dockyard workforce.
The exhibition will look at the reforms introduced into Portsmouth Dockyard by Sir Samuel Bentham, brother of Jeremy Bentham, who originated the Panopticon theory. Famous for its application to a prison design, the principle was that an observer could monitor workers unseen. In essence, the workers became part of the machine.
The exhibition will also complement the Dockyard Apprentice exhibition, also on display in Boathouse 7, where some of the Block Mills machines are currently displayed.
It is aimed at an audience of adults and age 14+ students with an interest in maritime, naval and social history.
Katariina Mauranen, a former student of Portsmouth University, commented: "Before starting my PhD I worked at the Royal Naval Museum for a short time, so it''s great to come back here with my own exhibition. I''m especially glad to be displaying Block Mills history so near the original setting."
Showcasing the Block Mills as the start of the Navy’s industrial revolution and as a feature unique to Portsmouth will be a good introduction to the tours around the Block Mills on Heritage Open Days. These tours will take place on the 12th & 13th September and must be pre-booked. Please contact Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for further details (023 9289 4550).
Additional Notes:
Katariina Mauranen’s PhD thesis is for Imperial College London, in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth and curators from Portsmouth City Museum and the Science Museum, exploring the possibilities of making academic history more accessible to the public through museum exhibitions. She is a former student of the University of Portsmouth, graduating with an MSc Heritage and Museum Studies in 2004. She is grateful to Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust for supporting the exhibition financially and for the valuable advice received from Brian Patterson (Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust Historian & Boatkeeper).
