25th anniversary of raising of the Mary Rose highlights exciting future
News release issued: 11th October 2007October 11th marks the 25th anniversary of the raising of the Mary Rose, the Tudor warship famously raised from the Solent.
Celebrations will be especially significant as The Mary Rose Trust awaits a decision from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) expected in January 2008, on the outcome of a bid for £21 million to complete the conservation of the ship, her contents and to build a new museum to house them.
Over 60 million people worldwide watched as the hull of the ship, a favourite of Henry VIII, broke the surface after 437 years underwater. It remains the world’s largest maritime archaeology project ever and the hull and rich collection of Tudor artefacts have been visited by some 7 million visitors since.
The Mary Rose Trust’s President HRH The Prince of Wales said of the anniversary:
“It hardly seems possible that twenty-five years have passed since the Mary Rose was raised from the seabed. I remember being there on the day, watching spellbound – and anxious! – as this historic ship returned to the surface and I know that millions more watched it on live television worldwide. As President of the Trust, I wish to congratulate all those who have contributed to the search, discovery, excavation and salvage of the ship, as well as the achievements of the last twenty-five years. The vital process of conservation of both the ship and the vast collection of priceless artefacts has continued with painstaking professionalism and everyone associated with this remarkable project should feel proud of what they have achieved. I look forward with eager anticipation to seeing the project completed and the fully conserved ship recombined with her artefacts in a new museum.
As one of those who dived on the site during those amazing years of the excavation, I am so sorry that I cannot be there in person to celebrate the occasion with the volunteer diving team. However, I do send my warmest best wishes and congratulations to the original dive teams and to past and current volunteers, staff and other friends of the Trust at all levels. I wish them well and congratulate them on reaching this great anniversary.
A three day long lecture programme featuring famous names from TV and history will highlight how important the ship is, how she has enriched our understanding of Tudor history and how her excavation changed the face of maritime archaeology.
Key speakers include TV historian and media personality Dr David Starkey and well-known actor and long bow expert Dr Robert Hardy. They join a line-up of well known and highly regarded historians, curators, divers, researchers and maritime archaeologists who will all be speaking on the impact of the Mary Rose across a number of areas of interest.
Invitations have been extended to almost 600 divers who helped to discover and excavate the wreck site to join together over the weekend 12th/13th October to mark the anniversary.
Over the last year, Mary Rose staff has been working exceptionally hard to finalise the plans for the final conservation programme and new museum; the revised application went to the Heritage Lottery Fund in June.
John Lippiett, Chief Executive of The Mary Rose Trust explains: “The bid is most impressive and shows the improved exhibition and enlarged learning facilities which are at the heart of the Trust’s activities.”
He continued: “The vision has been refined and is now: ‘To create a sensational and sustainable museum in which the Mary Rose and her artefacts tell their unique stories’. “
Considerable work has been put into researching the new audiences the Trust intend to reach with the new museum. This is a vital element of its engagement with the community and there are many exciting opportunities ahead.
The design of the museum building, to be built over the dry dock in which the ship sits, remains largely the same as before, but the concept for interpretation of the exhibition has changed considerably. The display will be based on the moment-in-time just before the ship sank in 1545. This unique time-capsule will show some 14,000 stunning objects close to the position where they were found in the ship. They will be displayed to tell the stories of the individuals who owned them; the admiral, the sailor, the cook, the pilot, the barber surgeon, the archer, the carpenter. Their personal and professional belongings will be brought together for the first time for us to understand how they lived and worked onboard. As the eminent Tudor historian, Dr David Starkey recently said: “The Mary Rose is the English Pompeii, preserved by water not fire. All Tudor life is there; it is like stepping inside a Holbein painting”.
John Lippiett, Chief Executive of The Mary Rose Trust said: “The raising of the Mary Rose was a truly significant event and it is right that we celebrate it. But in so doing, we must also look forward to the next 25 years and beyond to secure the long term future of this unique ship and her collection of wonderful artefacts. We must ensure the Mary Rose is retained for the Nation and is fully accessible for the enjoyment and enlightenment of millions more in the future.”
For a wealth of information including memories, pictures and footage of the raising, please visit the BBC Hampshire website by clicking here.
