Our Journey into the Uncharted - The Museum Stores

27 Jul 2015

The hunt is back on for the mythical Elinor whose trail has led the museum and Punchdrunk back to a key inspiration for the show, the museum stores.

Now in a series of blogs the National Maritime Museum (NMM) and Punchdrunk (PD) come together again to discuss how the exhibition developed from initial concept stage to the first visitors through the door. However, like all things that go Against Captain’s Orders these blogs aren’t quite what they seem as the museum has agreed to Punchdrunk’s request to structure the series around an old museum myth, the apparent disappearance of curator Elinor Grey. The hunt is back on for the mythical Elinor whose trail has led the museum and Punchdrunk back to a key inspiration for the show, the museum stores. If you're new to this series we recommend you begin at the start. 

The museum stores. Image by Stephen Dobbie

PD: I remember when I first heard about the stores. It was in one of our first sessions with the curators. We’d asked everyone what their favourite object in the museum was and got some great answers, the Harrison H1, Nelson’s coat from Trafalgar, the whole Franklin collection. Then we asked about secrets of the museum or places that no-one else knew about and almost immediately the stores came up...

NMM: They always do.

PD: … and everyone got very excited.

NMM: They always do. It’s because even they need permission to go there. And no-one is allowed to walk around it unaccompanied. It’s all very top secret.

PD: A place of the museum’s most secret secrets. If we’re going to find Elinor Grey it will be in there.

NMM: Maybe, but not today.

PD: So you said, but are you sure we can’t get in for a quick look?

NMM: I don’t think so.  As you can imagine the value of the objects held down there is considerable so security is very tight. No one is allowed in without the supervision of a custodian and trust me -  they don't appreciate you turning up without an appointment.

PD: Can’t we just sneak in?

NMM: I think that’s an immediate dismissal offence.

PD: I don’t work here.

NMM: True. They’d probably just arrest you.

PD: Might be worth it?

NMM: You’ve been inside haven’t you?

PD: We visited, but not properly. I mean they’re huge. I couldn’t quite get my head round it. I think we got as far as the dispatch room, which was insane, but no further. I just love the idea of this maze of rooms and corridors, twisting round and over each other down into the Earth.

Plan of the stores in the Dispatch Room. Image by Stephen Dobbie

NMM: Maybe it’s best you don't see it. I’m not sure it would live up to your expectations.

PD: Not that exciting then?

NMM: I’m not saying that, but maybe not in the way your meaning. At least not bits I’ve seen, but as you say it’s very big. What I like is that it’s such a very different dynamic to the museum. Without the context of an exhibition you feel like you’re discovering the objects for yourself. Happening upon them. Turn a corner and suddenly there is Nelson’s Bureau, the actual desk Nelson sat at. They’re not trapped behind glass and in a way, they become more real. For me that’s really exciting.

PD: I agree. A regular exhibition with display cases helps us study an object, but also puts us at a distance. A chair suddenly isn’t really a chair any more.

NMM: Which I think it really is in the best kind of way. …

PD: I think we should at least pop in since we’ve come all the way down here?

NMM: I don’t think that’s a very good idea.

PD: Come on, it’ll be fine.

NMM: I really don’t think you should do that.

PD: Come on. What’s the worst that could happen.

NMM: Ask Elinor Grey...