16303972649Highlights from MUŻAhttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30397/objects/xmlThe National Art Collection at MUŻA features works by both Maltese and international artists, spanning from the 14th century to the present day. The collection includes paintings, sculpture, works on paper, furniture and other decorative arts, as well as modern and contemporary photography, video art and installations. These are some of the highlights which can be found on display in the museum galleries./internal/media/dispatcher/34689/full303962648Old Master Drawings in the National Art Collectionhttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30396/objects/xmlMUŻA holds a little-known collection of around 150 old master drawings. Dating between the 15th and 18th centuries, they are by European artists from different schools, some known, while others remain anonymous. These include Vittore Carpaccio, the workshop of Pietro Perugino, Federico Zuccaro, Giovanni Baglione,  Mattia Preti, Francois Boucher and Antoine Favray. These drawings are currently being studied and more will be added to emuseum periodically./internal/media/dispatcher/13805/full3038379Oral Histories of the Malta Dockyardhttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30383/objects/xmlA series of oral history interviews of ex- Malta Dockyard employees were recorded between 2021 and 2023 by the Digitisation Unit, Heritage Malta, under the direction of Joe Meli. 120 ex-employees were invited to describe their memories of the dockyard under various administrations, details of their trades, important events, and day to day life. The recordings provide an insight into the work and social lives of the industrial harbour region of Malta during the second half of the twentieth century. This project was part-funded by the EEA Norway Grants, 2019-2023./internal/media/dispatcher/6429/full303995575Giovanni Bonello Collection of Postcardshttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30399/objects/xmlDr Giovanni Bonello’s 2022 donation to the national maritime collection constitutes a substantial visual record of ships calling at Malta. Comprising over 1,400 postcards, all immediately digitised, the collection mainly depicts British naval vessels throughout various phases of the island’s colonial and post-colonial history. Among the more curious images is the torpedo ram HMS Polyphemus lying in Dockyard Creek. This short-lived late nineteenth-century experiment sought to combine emerging technologies with a very archaic naval tactic. But the Bonello Donation also documents Malta’s shifting strategic significance. A large proportion of the postcards dates to a period when the island functioned as a global and regional projector of British imperial power, particularly from the 1920s onward, when the Mediterranean Fleet increasingly expected itself to intervene in the Far East against possible Japanese expansion. The collection also reflects Malta’s offensive role during the Second World War and its history as a NATO base during a portion of the Cold War./internal/media/dispatcher/42045/full303902634The Manoel Island Yacht Yardhttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30390/objects/xmlFor centuries, ships and shipping have played an important role in the history and development of the Maltese Islands. Following the Second World War, a growing global interest in sailing and yachting was also felt across Malta and what had once been a common pastime among British servicemen gradually became a popular activity among the Maltese. In the years leading up to independence in 1964, proposals were made to establish a yacht marina as part of Malta’s wider economic regeneration efforts and due to the islands’ central location in the Mediterranean, the initiative gained support and was included in the Aids-to-Industries schemes promoting industrial development. With the Naval Dockyard becoming commercialised under Messr. Baileys in 1959, the area on Manoel Island which was originally used by the Royal Navy, was transformed for the repair of small craft repairs. However, it was under Swan Hunter in 1966 that the ‘Manoel Island Yacht Yard’ was officially inaugurated providing broader services for private yachts and smaller vessels. The Yard continued to operate for several decades, and with the closure of Malta Shipyards in 2010, it entered a new phase when it was sold to a Maltese consortium./internal/media/dispatcher/32280/full303952646Ship conversion of M.T. Northia to FPSO Ikdamhttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30395/objects/xmlOn the 4th of October 2001, the IKDAM FPSO, converted from the former M.T. Northia, sailed from Malta Shipyards to undergo sea trails before taking up station on the Isis off the coast of Tunisia. This marked the successful completion project of the conversion project the contract which had been awarded to Malta Shipyards by Brovig RDS of Aberdeen in January 2001, following stiff competition between a number of shipyards. The project began in February and the work involved the removal of the bulbous bow, extensive hull modifications for the connection of the patented Tripod Catenary Mooring System (TCMS), installation of new generating capacity, fabrication and installation of a helicopter deck, process deck, flare stack and bow cantilever and gantry, full hull blasting and coating, upgrading of accommodation, fire fighting and life saving systems and equipment and modifications to the propulsion system. The topside facilities, supplied, installed and commissioned by Expro Production Solutions, included an oil production plant and a 3 MMSCFD gaslift system./internal/media/dispatcher/31994/full3038241Maritime Ship Badgeshttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30382/objects/xmlThe Malta Maritime Museum houses an impressive collection of badges, including those from naval forces around the world. They generally feature crests and insignias. Together, these artefacts highlight Malta’s rich naval heritage and its enduring links to seafarers who have navigated these waters for centuries. Each badge reflects a vessel or military unit’s history, identity, and ties to Malta. Largely commemorating naval vessels that have visited Malta over the years, such badges are typically presented by the ship’s captain as a gesture of goodwill and to mark their visit to the Maritime Museum. However, select badges in this collection were also specially crafted by skilled workers at the Malta Dry Docks./internal/media/dispatcher/500/full30386165Navigational Instrumentshttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30386/objects/xmlThe Mediterranean, known in antiquity as “The Great Sea,” has long attracted sailors, conquerors, and traders to its waters. Navigational tools have always been essential, especially when mariners ventured beyond coastlines. At first glance, the Phoenician sailor, British submarine captain, and modern refugee may seem worlds apart, but all have relied on tools like the solar wheel, compass, sextant, or even a smartphone. These instruments symbolise a shared purpose in these blue waters: the search for prosperity, conquest, or simply survival. Each object in this collection showcases a step in navigation’s evolution, from an ancient inscribed sherd to a modern Global Positioning System (GPS) device. Each innovation built upon the last, making exploration more precise. Together, these artefacts tell the story of Malta’s unique position in the Mediterranean—a place both isolated and connected, shaped by the sea’s challenges and opportunities./internal/media/dispatcher/7333/full303891046An Island at the Crossroads exhibition (2024-2025)https://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30389/objects/xmlMarking the completion of the first phase of the Malta Maritime Museum project in Birgu, part-funded by the EEA Norway Grants 2014-2021, the exhibition “An Island at the Crossroads” (2024-2025) celebrates Malta’s resilience and explores its rich identity. Malta, shaped by centuries of waves and winds, shares its story in this engaging showcase. From exploring beyond its shores to acting as a global link, Malta’s history is filled with moments of war, famine, and prosperity. This modern exhibition highlights Malta’s key role in the Mediterranean, weaving together tales of how the sea shaped its people. Visitors will find stories of love, conflict, and the struggles of those seeking new beginnings. The display includes a range of artefacts, from ex-voto paintings to old seafaring tools, each with its own unique story to tell./internal/media/dispatcher/1615/full303881043Scale Ship Modelshttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30388/objects/xmlThis collection highlights Malta’s important role in sea trade, military history, and shipbuilding. It consists of anything from traditional Maltese boat models, like the dgħajsa and luzzu, to a wide variety of warships and trading or merchant vessels Some models were made as teaching tools, gifts, or commemorative displays. A few of these are a few hundred years old! Others were built by skilled craftsmen using historical records to make accurate renditions, but the museum collection also boasts many creative works by enthusiasts in the community. The Maritime Museum also has models which were made as part of an examination process, by Dockyard School students, for example. Other select models were made in recent years specifically to facilitate museum learning in key areas./internal/media/dispatcher/1617/full30387169Dockyard Toolboxhttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30387/objects/xmlOn 30 April 1942, Rear Admiral Mackenzie, head of His Majesty’s Dockyard in Malta, signed a list of commendations for the Governor of Malta. The list honoured tugboat crews, dockyard workers, and constables who, during March and April, worked under bombs and shrapnel to keep ships afloat and unload supplies, even as the Dockyard was reduced to ruins. One of these men, Giuseppe D’Esposito, was part of a team of six from the Torpedo depot that pumped water out of a damaged ship until it could be docked. D’Esposito was from Senglea, but like many others, his family fled to safer towns during air raids in June 1940. He commuted daily from Birkirkara to Manoel Island, where British submarines, stationed there for much of the siege, constantly needed torpedoes to support Malta’s defence. This collection consists of D’Esposito’s toolbox and provides clues about his trade as a joiner. Each object was individually digitised and catalogued, while the box itself, a self-made project, presents some insight into D’Esposito’s religious beliefs./internal/media/dispatcher/1948/full30385162Maritime Drawingshttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30385/objects/xmlThe Maritime Drawings collection includes plans of ships, harbour scenes, and other maritime themes. Plans often had a technical or practical purpose, such as the design of ships or harbour infrastructure. Harbour and marine views were often simply souvenirs or works of art. In 19th century Valletta, travellers looking to get a souvenir could order specific scenes on show in the botteghe of artists and printers, which could then be replicated to heart’s content. Certain drawings are also significant because they function as source material for either ships and structures or some marine aspect of Maltese life which is lost in the present world. As a hub for trade, commerce raiding and cultural, artistic and social exchange, Malta’s marine and harbour scenes are often bustling with activity, making each drawing a storyteller in its own right./internal/media/dispatcher/1790/full3038494Maritime Paintingshttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30384/objects/xmlThe Maritime Paintings collection showcases a variety of themes, including ships, harbours, and dramatic seascapes. Some paintings illustrate singular events in Malta’s maritime history, such as battles or ceremonies. Their purpose is often celebratory, but the collection also boasts paintings depicting less glamorous events. Leslie Cole’s wartime art comes to mind, depicting a harbour in ruins. Others are allegories (with a religious or symbolical meaning) or representations of daily life in a particular period of the island’s rich past. The collection also contains one of the oldest ex-votos on the island: a wooden panel commissioned by a grateful Navarrese knight for his surviving of one of the largest naval battles in history./internal/media/dispatcher/6053/full303942640An Early Roman rock-cut tomb at Wied l-Għasri, Gozohttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30394/objects/xmlThis rock-cut tomb was discovered in Wied l-Għasri in April 1979. It consisted of an access shaft and a single burial chamber, classifying it as the more common type of Maltese rock-cut tombs of the period. The find was recorded in the Museum Annual Report. The grave goods consisted of several urns with lids, a number of two-handled amphorae, saucers and other containers, a corroded bronze mirror and some copper coins. The ceramics are stylistically datable to the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. Many of the urns still contain cremated human remains./internal/media/dispatcher/26099/full303932639Daily life in the Neolithichttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30393/objects/xmlThe megalithic monuments created by the inhabitants of Malta and Gozo during the Neolithic are well known. Less is known about the daily life of the people. Monuments and mass burials suggest a strong sense of community. The modest huts that people lived in were located around the megalithic buildings that were the focus of the community. The annual cycle brought a never-ending succession of tasks which were probably shared between males and females. Crops needed to be sown, tended, harvested and stored, and animals needed to be reared, herded and slaughtered. Other tasks included child-rearing, cooking and pottery-making. The archaeological record has provided us with a rich repertoire of cooking vessels and associated tools./internal/media/dispatcher/25150/full303922638The Xagħra Circlehttps://emuseum.heritagemalta.mt/collections/30392/objects/xmlThe Xagħra Circle is the only known mass-burial site from Neolithic Gozo. It was first excavated between 1987 and 1994 by an Anglo-Maltese team of archaeologists. The site consists of a concentration of natural caves in very friable rock that were modified to accommodate entire generations of burials. The rich repertoire of finds discovered at the Xagħra Circle is what makes it a truly exceptional site. Besides a large concentration of human remains, archaeologists also discovered a vast quantity of grave goods. These consisted of ceramics, tools, ornaments and miniature statuettes. Although coming from a funerary context and therefore having played a ritual function, many of these objects would have been functional both as personal objects and in daily life./internal/media/dispatcher/25070/full