Figureheads

The Cutty Sark Trust cares for the world’s largest collection of Merchant Navy figureheads, over 60 of which were on display on board Cutty Sark prior to closure for the Conservation Project. The figureheads lined the Lower Hold of the ship and had been on display to the public since the ship opened in 1957.  The collection belonged to a London business man named Sydney Cumbers, who donated the figureheads to The Cutty Sark Preservation Society in 1953.

The collection consists of a wide range of figureheads, mostly dating from the 19th century, originating from different types of merchant vessels. The fact that these are mercantile figureheads means that provenance is often very difficult to trace: the history of a ship and its figurehead may be lost as ships were broken up or fell out of use, or names of ships (and their figureheads) might change with their owners. Several figureheads have no historical information as they may be the sole surviving object from a particular ship.

The collection includes a whole host of characters from history, legend and literature, such as: Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Fry, William Wilberforce, Disraeli, Hiawatha and Sir Lancelot.

The entire figurehead collection was removed to storage for the duration of The Cutty Sark Conservation Project. The figureheads will be re-displayed in the new exhibition area in the dry berth when the ship re-opens in 2011.

  Florence Nightingale