Exhibitions

A genuinely ground-breaking and comprehensive history of British tattooing, featuring cutting edge designers, leading academics and major private collectors. This is the largest gathering of real objects and original tattoo artwork ever assembled in the UK featuring over 400 original artworks, photographs and historic artefacts.

Step into the sights and sounds of one the greatest survival feats in British maritime history. This exhibition tells the story of Captain Bligh, challenging the Hollywood depiction of the famous mutiny on HMS Bounty.

The ground-breaking exhibition Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed was only possible due to the passion and knowledge of individual collectors, and the objects they saved. Without them, all this material – and the social history it represents – would have been lost. The exhibition features items from three of the most important private collections of…

A sneaky peak at this unique installation Tattoos are a living and uniquely three dimensional form of art. The museum responded to this by commissioning an innovative installation which literally brings the art off the gallery wall to create a ‘sculptural map’ of British tattoo art today. The ‘100 Hands’, curated by Alice Snape of ‘Things and…

Cruel tyrant? Or maritime hero? Twelve young people from St Ives Secondary School have researched and produced this documentary film that challenges the popular perception of Captain William Bligh as one of history’s great villains – the cruel tyrant responsible for the infamous ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’. About the project The Captain Bligh Film Project…

A modern master chooses his exhibition highlights Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed features over 400 artefacts and artworks including memorabilia donated by legend Alex Binnie from his iconic shop ‘Into You’ (now sadly closed) described by Alex as the first real custom tattoo shop in London. ‘It’s a recent history if you will,’ says Alex…

Lal on why this exhibition is so important One of the masters, tattoo artist Lal Hardy on British Tattoo Art Revealed, the exhibition at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth, one of the largest of its kind. Lal Hardy was born in 1958 and, has spent most of his time since living and working…

The Myth, The Man and Mutiny In this video, guest curator, Dr Pieter van der Merwe, General Editor and Curator Emeritus at the National Maritime Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich, introduces some of the highlights of one of our major temporary exhibitions for 2017, Captain Bligh: Myth, Man and Mutiny. Like this? Want to know more?…

Challenging ideas about how far back tattooing goes in our culture Co-curator and Head of Public Programming at The National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Stuart Slade, chooses one of his favourite objects in British Tattoo Art Revealed, the largest exhibition of it’s kind in the UK. A genuinely ground-breaking and comprehensive history of British tattooing, featuring…