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Above, the state barge that transported Nelson' s body from Greenwich Hospital to Whitehall on 8 January 1806 is suspended from the ceiling, allowing views fro m all angles. Above right , this portrait of Nelson byfohn Hoppner-one ofseveral in the Royal Naval Museum' s Lambert McCarthy Gallery-is considered to he one of the best likenesses of Nelson in his later years. Below, Portsmouth' s nautical tone is evident, even outside the walls of its Historic Dockya rd. Below right, HMS Victory, Nelson' s flagship at Traf algar, is hut one of the many memorable historic exhibitions open to the public in the vicinity ofthe Royal Naval Museum.
SEA HISTORY 76, WINTER 1995-96
Adjacent to the Victory Gallery , the Lambert McCarthy Gall ery contain s many items from both Nelson ' s priv ate and public lives, including personal articles , memorabili a that memori ali ze hi s life, portraits of him self and those who were part of hi s life , and much more. These item s give important dimension to the man who epitomi zes the spirit of the Royal Navy. They also fill in oftmiss ing detail s on a person who has inspired unusual ongo ing public interest in the form of innumerable biographies, major art wo rks, feature film s and th e sea adv e nture novels based on Nelson 's navy by writers like C. S. Forester and Patrick O 'Bri an. One of the Museum 's plans for the near future involves a major redirection
of its Ne lson exhibition s. These pl ans include the introduction of new electronic presentations-supported by ri gorou s scholarship and the Muse um ' s unique collections. Museum Director Campbell McMurray recently described a majorobjecti ve of the pl ans: "With the increased use of electronic medi a, we will communicate not onl y the fac ts of Nelson' s amazing li fe, but a feeling of what it was like to li ve th ro ugh the momentous events of hi s career." The Plus Factor The Royal Naval Museum ' s locati on is a major plus. The city of Portsmouth , chartered in 11 94, is steeped in British hi story- putting that of the Royal Navy in a clearer perspecti ve . Additionall y, within a stone's th ro w of the Museum are such attraction s as HMS Victory, Nelson 's fl ags hip at Trafalgar, HM S Warrior, the epitome of technological advancement in Queen Victori a's navy, and the Mary Rose, salvaged in 1982 after being sealed in the she ll s and clay at the bottom of Portsmouth Harbour fo r more than 400 years. For anyone interested in the sea, and the role of nav ies in world events, the Royal Naval Museum prov ides a fasc inating opportunity fo r learning. It is a unique window on a unique instituti on. 1,
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Joseph Callo is a fr ee-lance writer on naval, travel and business subjects and a rear admiral, USNR (Ret.) .
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