Beautifully illustrated with 120 stunning images, this volume presents iconic objects of the Royal Museums Greenwich in chronological order, including some of the most significant new acquisitions of the last decade, each accompanied by a lively and fascinating story.

The collections of Royal Museums Greenwich are extensive and varied, from Elizabethan seafaring to twenty-first-century astronomy. The breadth of materials and media ranges from paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture to heavy machinery, precision timekeepers, and textiles.

Each object explored in this volume has been selected for its unique significance, from Elizabeth I, the Armada Portrait to the uniform Lord Nelson wore during the Battle of Trafalgar; Harrison's remarkable timepieces to Yinka Shonibare's Ship in a Bottle; the last message of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated expedition to find the Northwest Passage to George Stubbs's kangaroo and dingo paintings.