With impressive paintings, expressive posters and fascinating model ships, the International Maritime Museum Hamburg (IMMH) is presenting itself in the galleries of the Museum Kunst der Westküste (MKdW).
The exhibition is devoted to the radical changes that occurred in the maritime world during the 19th century. The invention of the steam engine marked the beginning of a new age – a process of transformation that encompassed every area of life through further technological innovations. Emerging out of Europe’s industrialised nations, these technological and economic developments spread throughout the world and also led to profound changes in numerous aspects of society.
After seafaring had been dependent on sails and wind since the beginning of time, the steam engine altered it like no invention before.
Steel also replaced wood as the basic material of shipbuilding. This made crossing the seas safer.
The exhibition is centred around the “maritime revolutions” and the fundamental changes they brought to seafaring: it recounts the shifting relationship between sailing ships and steamers, the era of iron giants dominating the oceans and the transformation of travel by sea.
MKdW would like to thank:
