50 Years of the National Museum of Bermuda

1974

Bermuda Maritime Museum is established by a committee of the Bermuda National Trust to promote the permanent preservation of maritime artifacts and The Keep Fort and to maintain, promote and manage a Maritime Museum for the enjoyment and education of the public. Queen Elizabeth II gives the fledgling institution a stamp of approval on her visit to Bermuda in February 1975, opening the Queen’s Exhibition Hall (in the 1850 Ordnance House), which was staged with temporary exhibits.

Bermuda National Trust Trustees and Founders of Bermuda Maritime Museum:

1975

Earl Mountbatten of Burma opens the Bermuda Maritime Museum. The Queen’s Exhibition Hall is the only building open, as the rest of the buildings on the property still need repair, refurbishment and restoration work. Over the course of the next four years, the 1852 Ordnance House, the Boat Loft and the 1837 Shifting House opened with exhibits.

Bermuda Maritime Museum Founding Trustees:

1975

Publication of the Museum’s first newsletter, RATLINES (1975-1988). The newsletters started as a brief newssheet informing members of Museum news and events. Since then, our newsletter has undergone several revamps: The Museum Quarterly (1988-1995) saw the addition of research articles and MARITimes (1996-present) magazine brought the publication into full colour.

1978

An Act of Parliament officially creates the Museum and establishes its long-term tenure of the Dockyard Keep Fort.

1980

The Museum’s Board of Trustees hires the first professional staff: Bermudian archaeologist Dr. Edward Harris is appointed the first Executive Director.

1982

First Museum archaeological excavation takes place at the moat by the front gate of the Museum. This marked the start of the Museum’s strong relationship with archaeology. Since then, over 50 land and marine archaeological projects have been conducted in partnership with universities and international and local organisations. These research projects have greatly increased our knowledge of Bermuda’s history and interaction with the Atlantic World.

1984

The 375th anniversary of the wreck of the Sea Venture and opening of the Sea Venture exhibit: the first time modern archaeological techniques were showcased in an exhibit in Bermuda. Artifacts from the Sea Venture are now on display in Shipwreck Island (2012) in Queen’s Exhibition Hall.

1984

It is the 175th anniversary of the Royal Navy at the West End. The Museum celebrated this milestone with the opening of the Royal Navy exhibit by H.R.H. Princess Margaret.

1984

The first professional archaeologist/conservator is hired and begins work on the Museum’s collections in a makeshift lab on the Lower Grounds.

1985

Museum celebrates its 10-year anniversary and completes the restoration of Commissioner’s House Stable Block which is converted into apartments to house researchers, students and interns. Today, part of the building houses the Museum’s Curatorial Offices.

1985

Our lamb-scaping crew arrive! A small herd of sheep trims the grass to keep landscaping costs down. The sheep are a favourite amongst visitors and their popularity skyrockets when they took over the Museum’s social media in 2020, during the Island-wide pandemic lockdown.

1986

Museum student Hostel opens. Hundreds of visiting field school students and interns have made the Hostel a temporary home while carrying out archaeological and historical research projects in Bermuda.

1986

The Royal Naval Dockyard clock (1856) is restored and installed at the Museum in the Boat Loft, ringing again for the first time in 70 years.

1987

The Bermuda Maritime Museum Press is established.  Research and publications are integral to the Museum’s mandate. The first publication was Great Guns of Bermuda: A guide to the principal forts of the Bermuda Islands by Dr. Harris. Now called the National Museum of Bermuda Press, it has published over 40 books on Bermuda history and culture.

1987–1991

The Museum carries out the Bermuda in the Age of Discovery project, which includes archaeological, archival and material culture research into shipwrecks, collections and Spanish manuscripts predating colonisation.

1988

First Capital Campaign launched to raise funds for the restoration of Commissioner’s House and to expand the Museum’s professional staff and research.

1989

Publication of the first volume of the Museum Press’ Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History. The Journal, now on Volume 22, is peer-reviewed and includes multidisciplinary articles on archaeological and historical research related to Bermuda. Articles provide a diverse and thought-provoking exploration of Bermuda’s past. 

1990

Corange Laboratory officially opens with the purpose of artifact conservation. Tens of thousands of artifacts have been conserved and preserved, including shipwreck artifacts– an unparalleled source of information concerning Atlantic World and its history: exploration, colonization, maritime commerce and warfare. Artifacts conserved through the Lab are preserved for future generations and many can be seen on display in Museum exhibits.

1992

His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent agrees to become Royal Patron of the Bermuda Maritime Museum.

Image Source: Wikipedia

1999

The Museum launches a student internship programme offering hands-on work experience and training in all aspects of museum work, including learning best practices in heritage management, and providing opportunities for interns to deepen their understanding of Bermuda history. The programme builds capacity in Bermuda’s cultural heritage sector.

1999

Dolphin Quest arrives. The dolphins were moved to the Keep Pond after their habitat at Southampton Princess Hotel was destroyed during Hurricane Gert (1998). Since then, the Dolphin Quest facilities have expanded and include a gift shop, viewing platform and a dolphin habitat outside the Keep Pond.

2000

Commissioner’s House opens! After nearly 20 years of restoration, Commissioner’s House doors opened to the public on May 27. Since its opening, the House has won numerous local and international awards, including Bermuda National Trust’s Clipper Award (in recognition of the importance of conserving Bermuda’s architecture) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Building Conservation Award.

2001

Commissioner’s House designated part of the UNESCO “Routes of Enslaved People: Resistance, Liberty and Heritage” Project and the African Diaspora Heritage Trail with the opening of the first large-scale exhibit on enslavement in Bermuda and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

2001

Historic Wrecks Act passed with the support of the Museum. The Museum has been an ardent proponent for the protection of Bermuda’s underwater cultural heritage. The Act ensures that Bermuda’s shipwrecks and aritfacts are protected and preserved for future generations.

2002 - 2009

Commissioner’s House is further populated with cultural exhibits relating to Bermuda’s connections with the Azores and the West Indies, Bermuda’s Defense Heritage, and the History of Tourism and the Bermuda Race.

2004

First website launches: www.bmm.bm.

2005

Work begins to save the Casemates buildings, initially with volunteers from what is now AXA XL. Other corporate companies and local volunteers have made great strides in clearing debris, carrying out pre restoration demolition and removing invasive trees and plants from the historic buildings.

2008

Prisoners in Paradise exhibit opens in the High Cave. The exhibit explores Bermuda’s role as a repository for colonial prisoners and POWs and exhibits the beautifully crafted pieces they carved while imprisoned in Bermuda.

2009

Bermuda Maritime Museum goes National! Cabinet approves the name change of the Museum and the handover of Casemates Barracks and its adjacent military buildings. The inclusion of Casemates Barracks increased the Museum property from 10 to 16 acres.

2009

Her Majesty the Queen opens Graham Foster’s Hall of History. The stunning mural took three and a half years to complete and illustrates 500 years of Bermuda’s history.

Image Source: Graham Foster Fine Art

2012

Shipwreck Island exhibit opens featuring Bermuda’s earliest wrecks with more than 1,500 artifacts on display and tells the story of Bermuda’s discovery, early settlement and history from 1505 to 1684.

2012

Free for February launched. With this yearly initiative, NMB opens the Museum gates for free for all Bermuda residents for the entire month of February, connecting more residents to Bermuda’s history and heritage.

2013

The Bermuda Maritime Museum Association Amendment Act was passed in the House of Parliament, which officially made us the National Museum of Bermuda (NMB). The Act also brought the remaining Dockyard fortifications under the Museum umbrella, including Casemates Barracks and the Northwest Rampart.

2014

Fun and adventure reign supreme at the Museum with the opening of the whimsical Children’s Playground. The Playground was awarded The Bermudian magazine’s Best of Bermuda Children’s Playground.

2014

Hurricanes Fay and Gonzalo hit Bermuda a week apart, causing widespread roof and structural damage to all the building of the Upper Grounds, including Commissioner’s House and the Curatorial Department. Over the next two years, Hurricanes Joaquin and Nicole caused more damage. Commissioner’s House was closed with temporary measures put in place to secure the buildings.

2015

Major works begin to repair the extensive damage from Hurricanes Fay and Gonzalo. Commissioner’s House is closed and remains closed for repairs until 2016. All roofs of the Upper Grounds buildings are replaced and strengthened and cast iron in the House restored.

New Strategic Plan devised with major stakeholder and community input to steer the Museum into the future.

2016

10-year Strategic Plan launched to steer the Museum through its next phases of development and incorporate its expanding scope.

2016

Historic Bastion E restored. In the process, NMB worked with Conservation Services to create homes for Longtails in the Bastion, installing 20 nesting boxes, offering researchers an opportunity to study the birds in more details.

2016

Playhouse opens: this whimsical children’s exhibit complements the nearby Museum Playground and uses interactives to explore Bermuda’s maritime history in original, fun and unexpected ways.

2017

3,501 feet of solar panels are installed along Northwest Rampart. The panels help the Museum become more sustainable and reduce operational costs.

2017

Founding Executive Director Dr. Edward Harris retires after four decades. Bermudian museum specialist Elena Strong takes the helm as the new leader of NMB.

2017

Curatorial offices are upgraded, increasing storage and adding a processing room, allowing the Curatorial team to better care for the Museum’s extensive collection and preserve Bermuda’s artifacts and stories for future generations.

2018

First exhibit at Casemates: Now Contemporary Art took over the buildings at the Lower Ordnance Yard, Casemates to create a temporary art exhibit. The show contained a wide range of artworks, including sculptures, installations, paintings and poems by local artists.

2019

The inaugural Dr. Reg Grundy Youth Photography Competition gives local students an opportunity to demonstrate their appreciation for Bermuda’s natural and cultural environment in memory of Dr. Grundy. Finalist photos bring vibrancy and new perspective to the walls of Commissioner’s House each year.

2019

NMB Education Strategy is launched to reposition and repurpose the Museum to become a multi-faceted community institution that encourages and supports the open exploration of history, heritage and identity. To carry out the work of the Strategy, the Museum hires its first Learning and Engagement Director: Lisa Howie.

2019

Bermuda and the Atlantic World free public lecture series launches: https://nmb.bm/discover-learn/read-watch-listen/lectures/

The series of inquiry-based lectures frames Bermuda history in an Atlantic World lens in the Museum’s aim to shift how history is shared and taught.

2020

NMB’s Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programme begins, providing training for local educators in methods to teach Bermuda history in ways that promote critical and creative thinking.

2020

 The Museum enters the quiet phase of a campaign, The Future of History, to ensure that learning Bermuda history is part of every educational journey on Island. Central to this vision is expanding Museum offerings and outreach while providing opportunities for future generations to study Atlantic World history in Bermuda.

2020

The COVID-19 pandemic arrives in Bermuda, forcing NMB to close for three months. NMB pivots to digital programming: At Home with History [URL] and United Together: Sharing Bermuda’s Covid-19 Pandemic Stories [URL]. The shift is here to stay and reflects how people worldwide are interacting with museums in new ways.

2021

The largest gun ever to defend Bermuda’s shores finds a new home at NMB, installed on Bastion E. It is aptly named by Museum staff as “The Big Gun”.

2021

Award-winning Tracing Our Roots/Routes programme is launched. Online workshops share tools and strategies to research, explore and share family history. Traces and Pastimes transforms Commissioner’s House: the start of yearly contemporary art exhibits responding to Museum programming.

2022

The Future of History Campaign concludes, with nearly $10 million raised for sustained funding for education, visionary investments, and operational stability. Enhancements to these core areas will benefit educators, students, and lifelong learners and expand the Museum’s influence locally and globally.

2022

NMB incorporates digital technology: using the Smartify app, new digital tours enhance Museum visitors and can be used off site, too. More digital content is in the works to keep pace with current museum experiences.

2023

Inaugural Adult Ambassador programme launches to move beyond traditional docent tours. The programme reflects NMB’s commitment to participatory learning and engagement with learners of all ages to bring Bermuda history and NMB to life!

2023

Free for February expands in 2023 with NMB’s first free Community Day for residents and visitors alike.