News / Bristol Dockyards
‘Multi-faceted story’ told at new museum next to SS Great Britain
The project manager at the newly refreshed museum at the newly renamed Bristol Dockyards says Isambard Kingdom Brunel has most definitely not been forgotten.
“The Brunel story is as strong as it’s ever been,” Tim Bryan told Bristol24/7 on the day the museum was officially opened.
“This exhibition space has the same amount of Brunel content as it had previously… And the ship remains the biggest element of the Brunel story so if people are worried that we’ve watered Brunel down, we have not.
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“We’ve just added an extra element to what was already there and that’s what we’re really proud of.
“It’s a multi-faceted story. You’ve got Brunel who was the most iconic 19th century engineer, the ship which came from his head and then you’ve got the rest of it which is what it did.”
The giant yardarm remains at the centre of the new museum – photo: Martin Booth
The museum – still connected by a walkway to the weather deck of Brunel’s world famous vessel – aims to give visitors’ more context about the ship before they step on board.
Why is the SS Great Britain in Bristol? Why was it built here? Who were some of the people who sailed on her? Why did they make the journey? And what was life like on an ocean voyage?
The stories of people are now front and centre, including stories found by Bristol Dockyards’ own researchers.
Stories of people are told at the new museum including apprentice shipwright James Johnson who travelled to Bristol from Gloucestershire aged just 13 to help build the SS Great Britain – photo: Rob Browne
“Before I think that people had a bit of an understanding,” Bryan added.
“Now I think they will really see the ship for what it is and the huge achievement that it was.”
The story of the salvage operation from the Falkland Islands that was previously told in the museum can now be learned about within the dry dock while the popular dressing up activity has been moved onto the weather deck.
Main photo: Rob Browne
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