The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society Collection is the largest and most complete archive of material relating to paddle and pleasure steamers in the UK.

The Collection has been formed over a period of 50 years and contains over 20,000 objects covering the development of paddle and pleasure steamers that plied between seaside resorts in the days up to the 1960s when most paddle steamers disappeared. The Collection though continues to reflect the steamers that are operated today by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society: Waverley, Balmoral and Kingswear Castle.

Material in the Collection is rich and diverse ranging from the wheel of the Clacton Belle, telegraph from the Consul, and a richly decorated Dining Saloon chair from the Clacton Belle to countless thousands of photographs, handbills, posters, models, souvenirs, plans and ephemera covering seaside resorts all over the UK as well as countless well-loved paddle steamers.

The Collection is an amazing resource for researchers interested in maritime history, local or family history or those that just want to rekindle happy memories of a day at the seaside aboard a paddle steamer!