|
LOCATIONS FOCUS: NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM
|
|
|
The National Maritime Museum, with its breathtaking architectural space, has become known in the broadcasting sector as a beautiful setting for productions, be they period dramas or supermarket adverts - and they come with the added bonus of professional advice from the museum's highly-knowledgeable curators. Rebecca Hawes tells us about the location’s fantastic history and its place in the modern world.
What is the history of your location?
The National Maritime Museum is comprised of three sites and is part of a World Heritage Site in Greenwich. The oldest part is the Queen’s House, the first neo-classical building in England, which Inigo Jones began work on in the summer of 1617. It is built over the old Deptford to Woolwich road, on which our colonnades and main museum buildings have stood since 1811 (these were added to accommodate the pupils of the Greenwich Hospital School until 1925.)
The museum itself opened in 1937 and The Royal Observatory was included in the site from 1954. The observatory stands majestically at the top of the hill overlooking the main buildings, and was built by Christopher Wren in 1675 for the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed. Built for his work and “a bit of pomp”, its foundations date back to the enclosing of the park in around 1427.
What does it mean to the local people?
The Museum is an integral part of the community, offering free entry and a range of activities for all ages. The site itself is a stunning reminder of England’s former monarchical glory, a beautiful addition to London’s rich heritage and history.
How long has it been used as a location for the film/broadcast industry?
We have been a filming location for over ten years now. Although first and foremost a museum, we find the arrangement is advantageous on both sides: it helps the museum to remain free to the public and offers access to our spectacular grounds for film and television crews. We have hosted feature films such as Sense And Sensibility, television programmes such as Monarchy and Spooks, advertisements for Marks & Spencer’s and Odeon cinemas, photo shoots for Harper’s Bazaar and many, many more!
What makes it so attractive as a filming location?
Filming at the National Maritime Museum gets you three wonderful and diverse locations in one. As well as our surroundings, we house a collection unsurpassed worldwide in its field and internationally renowned curators who can assist with projects by providing expertise and interviews. The location is absolutely unique and comes with a friendly and professional service of dedicated staff.
What do you like the most about it?
The whole site is alive with activity and has been for centuries: from the masques and lavish parties in the Queen’s House in the seventeenth century, to the painter Van de Velde who was given a studio in the house; from the school children learning nautical skills in the nineteenth century, to the astronomers who dedicated their lives to the pursuit of science in the Observatory for almost three centuries. The history is so rich and remains so because the buildings are perfectly preserved (despite a near-miss in World War II!)
What piece of trivia about the location can you offer?
Three: one for each bit! How about the anarchist on his way up the hill in the late 1800s to blow up the Observatory, who accidentally detonated it half-way up, inspiring Conrad’s The Secret Agent? Or the rumour that Sir Walter Raleigh infamously threw his cloak over the puddle for Queen Elizabeth on the very road that now runs underneath the Queen’s House? Or that Time Team dug up part of Henry VIII’s jousting yard in front of the museum, where he allegedly fell off his horse whilst jousting one day, knocking him unconscious and sending the surrounding persons into a panic for several hours…?!
If the buildings’ walls could talk, what do you hope they would keep a secret?
I’m sure they would retain the utmost discretion…!
For more information about using the National Maritime Museum as a filming location, call 020 8312 8522 or email films&filming@nmm.ac.uk
|
|
|
