What do we have?

Most UK paddle steamers are covered in the Collection although there is limited material on many nineteenth century steamers. The majority of material is paper based in the form of handbills, photographs and ephemera. The majority of larger objects such as ships fittings, are mainly associated with Thames steamers and in particular the 'Belle Steamers'.

The Collection is growing all of the time. Listed below is a summary of some of the most popular steamers at the moment. It contains the number of items for each steamer in the brackets after the name of each steamer;

Thames & Medway

Alexandra (12), Audrey (16), City of Rochester (29), Clacton Belle (25), Clacton Queen (9), Crested Eagle (91), Cynthia (9), Essex Queen (23), Golden Eagle (86), Isle of Arran (27), John H. Amos (10), Kingfisher (13), Koh-i-Nor (29), La Marguerite (29), Laguna Belle (18), Medway Queen (377), Norfolk (110), Queen of Kent (47), Queen of Southend (16), Queen of Thanet (41), Queen of the Channel (115), Queen of the South (176), Rochester Queen (9), Royal Daffodil (205), Royal Eagle (181), Royal Sovereign (177), Royal Sovereign (57), Southwold Belle (15), Thames Queen (10), Will Crooks (7), Woolwich Belle (23), Yarmouth Belle (26).

South Coast

Balmoral (1319), Bonnie Doone (69), Bournemouth Queen (40), Brighton Queen (520), Consul (213), Duchess of Devonshire (15), Duchess of York (6), Duke of Devonshire (39), Empress Queen (28), Freshwater (14), Gracie Fields (7), Lorna Doone (41), Monarch (89), Princess Elizabeth (151), Princess May (13), Ryde (123), Shanklin (17), Solent Queen (17), Southsea (9), Sussex Queen (14), Swanage Queen (30), Whippingham (16), Worthing Belle (5).

Bristol Channel

Albion (99), Barry (13), Britannia (87), Devonia (570), Glen Gower (185), Glen Rosa (266), Glen Usk (94), Gwalia (8), Prince Ivanhoe (86), Ravenswood (195), Westward Ho (175),

Clyde

Other

Alumchine (15), Cleddau Queen (5), Compton Castle (22), Dartmouth Castle (11) Kingwear Castle (823), Lady Ismay (11), Queen of the Isles (46), Queen of the North (5), Royal Iris (10), St Seiriol (17), St Trillo (50), St Tudno (27), Tattershall Castle (23), Totnes Castle (27), United Service (6), Wedding Ring (8).