British museum bought rare hand-drawn maps of Spanish Armada after a successful campaign

In a recent announcement, the National Museum of the Royal Navy revealed that in just eight weeks, the campaign to save the Armada Maps turned out to be successful and now the maps will remain in the United Kingdom. The museum took to its official Twitter handle and shared the image of the precious map. These maps are thought to be the earliest surviving representations of the naval battles. Also, they have not left the UK since they were first drawn in the year 1589. 

Successful campaign 

“We are proud to announce the #NMRN fundraising campaign to save the #ArmadaMaps was successful and the incredibly rare maps will now remain in the UK thanks to #NationalHeritageMemorialFund @artfund and the generosity of the British Public”, read the caption of the Twitter post. As per the official press release, Professor Dominic Tweddle, Director General of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, said, “Like many cultural and heritage institutions 2020 was an exceptionally tough year but we rallied and I am incredibly proud that we have made sure that the Armada Maps have been saved for generations to come. I would take this opportunity to place on record my gratitude to all those who answered our call to help. It was an amazing response from our funding partners and the public, who dug deep in extremely difficult times, to save these treasures”. The maps present a ‘defining moment’ in the history of England as they depict a Navy defending England’s shores against invasion by the 16th century’s imperial super-power of Spain. 

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Each map details the position in the Channel of individual ships in the English and Spanish fleets. The maps offer an opportunity to explore the role of the Navy throughout history as a protector of an Island Nation. Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage said, “The Armada Maps, first drawn in 1589, are an important piece of British heritage serving to remind us of this pivotal naval battle. The export bar system exists so we can keep nationally important works in the country and I am delighted that, thanks to the tireless work of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Armada Maps will now go on display to educate and inspire future generations”. 

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A new phase of the fundraiser has now started to ensure that the maps can be viewed and enjoyed by the public. The maps will be placed on display in the year 2021. Also, there are plans for them to tour the country when the pandemic restrictions are eased. Sarah Philp, Director of Programme and Policy for Art Fund stated that the Art fund is pleased to help save these precious maps as she said, “I know they will enthral visitors when they go on public display for the first time at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. As a charity, Art Fund relies on the generosity of its 159,000 members, and we are especially grateful to them for continuing to support the vital work of developing collections, during this very challenging time for museums”.

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(Image Credits: Twitter/@NatMuseumRN)