The Box unveiled its impressive collection of 19th century ship’s figureheads for the first time today.
The covers that have been hiding the 14 monumental sculptures since they were installed in late 2019 have been removed, revealing the full flotilla.
13 of the figureheads, the majority of which are on loan from The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), are suspended from the ceiling in a striking aerial display. The largest, Royal William, stands on the floor ready to welcome visitors into the building when it opens on Saturday 16 May.
Professor Dominic Tweddle, Director General of The NMRM said: “This is a stunning interpretation of the figureheads loaned by The National Museum of the Royal Navy. Usually figureheads are remote and difficult to see up close, so how exciting is it to be able to get so close to them and really see why they are so intriguing?”
With funding support from Interreg through its ‘Maritime, Military and Industrial Atlantic Heritage’ (MMIAH) project, Plymouth City Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, the figureheads underwent a huge restoration programme before they arrived at The Box. The work to consolidate, conserve, repair and repaint them was led by Orbis Conservation in London with South Molton’s Hugh Harrison Conservation and Helston’s Mainmast Conservation.
Plymouth City Council Leader, Tudor Evans OBE said: “Every week brings another monumental moment for The Box – and this is big news in more ways than one! The scale of the figureheads is really something to behold, as is the huge amount of vision and work that has taken place to conserve and display them in such a unique way. They’re just awesome.”
Plymouth City Council Shadow Leader, Ian Bowyer said: “We’ve been talking for months about how the figureheads will bring a real ‘wow factor’ to The Box, and seeing them all displayed without their covers for the first time today proves we were right. They look terrific as they ‘sail’ across either side of the main entrance.”
The challenging task of researching and developing the flotilla concept fell to The Box’s exhibition designers, Event and saw them collaborate with staff, architects, structural engineers and a specialist mount-maker. The end result uses a system of mounts and suspension points that are fixed directly to the ceiling, with fittings that are visibly discreet but robust enough to hold each figurehead’s weight.
Abby Coombs, Associate Director and Project Lead at Event said: “These huge objects say so much about Plymouth’s relationship with the sea and its role as a gateway to the rest of the world. When we were developing our design vision for The Box, we felt they needed a starring role.
“The entrance space to The Box is triple-height and filled with light, and this gave us the idea of positioning the figureheads up high, as though they were still on the prows of ships gliding in from the harbour. Putting together this challenging display has been a real team effort. It’s wonderful seeing our vision come to life. We’re really pleased with the results.”