Napoleonic Newsdesk

The Trafalgar Bicentenary: An Overview

by Paul Chamberlain

This year is the bicentenary of the Trafalgar Campaign, and there are many exciting events taking place throughout the country. Re-enactments, exhibitions, conferences and a continuous crop of books on the subject will make 2005 a memorable year for naval enthusiasts. This article is an overview of what is happening in the coming months. New addi-tions to the naval calendar will be announced in the Napoleonic Newsdesk as they become known, plus reviews of some of the exhibi- tions. There is a very good website that lists all events in the Trafalgar Festival, visit www.SeaBritain.com Conferences New Researchers in Maritime History 11-12 March A two-day conference at the Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth. For further enquiries please contact: Mrs Sue Goodger, The Royal Naval Museum, HM Naval Base (PP 66), Portsmouth PO1 3NH. Tel: 023 9272 7574. E-mail: sue.goodger@royalnavalmuseum.org Portsmouth Dockyard in the Age of Nelson 30 May-1 June A two-day conference held at the Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth, and the Institute of Maritime and Heritage Studies, University of Portsmouth. Organisers: Naval Dockyards Society Contact: Dr Ann Coats, Tel: 023 92863799, Email: ann@dockyards.org Europe at War: The Trafalgar Campaign in Context 13-15 July A three-day international conference held in central London and Greenwich looking at the political, social and cultural context of Trafalgar as well as the military and naval events. Organisers: National Maritime Museum, Institute of Historical Research, University of Greenwich. Contact: Dr Nigel Rigby, Tel: 020 8312 6559 E-mail: nrigby@nmm.ac.uk War at Sea in the Age of Nelson 4-9 September A five-night fully inclusive residential conference at Christ Church, University of Oxford, which brings together the finest speakers from Britain and the USA. This conference takes a look at the naval context of Trafalgar – the ships, men and operations of the period - and offers privileged access to a unique academic institution. Organisers: Christ Church, Oxford, and the National Maritime Museum Contact: Miss Alex Webb, Tel: 01865 276174 or 286848 E-mail: waratsea@christ-church.ox.ac.uk The Trafalgar Conference 14-15 October A major two-day international conference at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Featuring historians from Britain, France and Spain it will look in detail at the battle itself – the ships, the people and the tactics. Organisers: The Royal Naval Museum, The 1805 Club, the Nelson Society, the Society for Nautical Research. Supported by Action Stations. Contact: Sue Goodger, Tel: 023 9272 7574 E-mail: sue.goodger@royalnavalmuseum.org Exhibitions Display of Victory’s foretopsail March-October See HMS Victory’s battle scarred topsail for yourself at the Portsmouth Historic Dock-yard for a limited period. Trafalgar through French eyes National Fishing Heritage Centre, Grimsby 1 April-31 October Relive the campaign leading up to Trafalgar, the tragic aftermath of the battle, the death of Nelson and the suicide of Admiral Villeneuve through the eyes of the French and the commanders of the Franco-Spanish fleet. Contact: Andrew Tulloch, Tel: 01472 323576, E-mail: andrew.tulloch@nelincs.gov.uk Norfolk Nelson Museum, Great Yarmouth 1 April-31 October Take advantage of a special display of Nelson portraits as well as many other permanent displays on Nelson and his times at the museum. The Trafalgar Documents 5 May-30 November Read through some rarely seen manuscript treasures relating to Trafalgar and Nelson at the Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth. There’s no better way to get first-hand accounts of the Battle. Nelson’s Navy in Caricature 5 May-30 November See Nelson’s Navy as you’ve never seen it before at an exhibition of the Royal Naval Museum’s extensive collection of early 19th-Century satirical, and occasionally bawdy, caricatures. Nelson and Napoléon: Europe in turmoil 7 July-13 November A major special exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. HMS Victory, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth Throughout 2005 see HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar, now preserved in dry-dock but still a commissioned ship, and fully restored to her 1805 condition. Royal Naval Museum, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth Throughout 2005 visit the most significant and extensive set of permanent exhibitions in the UK devoted to Nelson, the sailing navy and the Battle of Trafalgar. Highlights include the Battle of Trafalgar ‘experience’ and the Museum’s Nelson figure. Nelson Museum, Monmouth Throughout 2005 a permanent Nelson display will be open at the Nelson Museum and Local History Centre, New Market Hall, Priory Street, Monmouth NP25 3XA For information telephone 01600 710630 or nelsonmuseum@monmouthshire.gov.uk Buckler's Hard Throughout 2005 visitors may see arte-facts from Nelson’s childhood at the Maritime Museum at Buckler's Hard, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire SO42 7ZX. Tel: 01590 616203, info@bucklershard.co.uk, www.bucklershard.co.uk Napoleonic News Desk Duke of Wellington to Unveil Monument at Norman Cross, Peterborough The 12th International Napoleonic Fair British Maritime History Seminars: Empires and Nations New Gallery Design Unveiled The Trafalgar Bicentenary Special Events 2005 Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire # 81 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2005 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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