Lloyd’s Register Foundation Seeks Donations to Enhance Maritime Archive Collection

The Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s Heritage and Education Centre (HEC) is seeking donations of maritime archival materials and artifacts to expand its extensive collection. Following a major digitization project completed in 2023, the HEC now has over 1.15 million records from the 1830s to the 1970s detailing the design, construction, and maintenance of ships classified by Lloyd’s Register. This collection includes significant vessels like the Carpathia and Cutty Sark, as well as milestones in maritime history such as the transition from steam to motor vessels and innovations like the Diesel engine-equipped Vulcanus and the Fullagar with a welded hull.

The HEC is inviting contributions from the public and businesses, particularly materials related to maritime technology, engineering, safety, and Lloyd’s Register. Donations should focus on prominent individuals related to Lloyd’s Register, ship and yacht building, the First and Famous collection, milestone events in Lloyd’s Register history, safety at sea development, and marine technology/safety equipment in art. Senior Archivist Max Wilson emphasized the importance of preserving maritime archives for future generations to learn from the past and improve maritime safety.

In the coming year, the HEC will launch an online Collection Management System to provide structured access to Lloyd’s Register’s archive and library collections, including private donations. The HEC will also open newly created reading rooms at Lloyd’s Register’s historic offices in London, making archives and library collections accessible to the public for research and consultation. Those interested in donating materials can contact the HEC team via email or visit their website for more information.

Source