Work is constantly going on to continue the restoration of HMS Victory. The curator researches and plans changes which need to be made in order to keep the ship in the best possible condition and to help bring her back to 1805 condition.
Here are just some of the ongoing projects....
Nelson's Cot Drapes
Officers like Nelson slept in wooden boxes called cots! These cots were made to measure when the officer joined a ship and would become their coffin if they died at sea. To try and disguise the fact they were sleeping in their own coffins wives and girlfriends embroidered drapes or curtains to make them look more homely! The orginal set made by Emma Hamilton are kept at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. The ones we have on board are replicas of these first ones.
Over the last year members of the East Hants Federation of the Townswomen's Guilds have been working on a new set. These have taken many hundreds of hours of intricate and detailed embroidery and have been completed using similar techniques and materials as Lady Hamilton's drapes. Recently they came on board HMS Victory to demonstrate their work and to tell people what they have been doing.
We are extremely grateful to all the ladies for the time and effort they have put in to recreating these personal items.
To find out more about the work of the Townswomen's Guilds please
click here to visit their website.
