We can thoroughly recommend the ‘Black Salt’ exhibition at the Maritime Museum in Liverpool.
We had the pleasure of visiting it recently with Ray Costello who gave us a guided tour round the exhibits. As Ray curated the exhibition, we really couldn’t have asked for a more knowledgeable guide. In the picture below, Ray is seen standing next to a photo of his great grandfather, Albert James, a sailor from Bermuda who settled in Liverpool in the 1850s and married a local girl in 1873.
The exhibition presents the contribution Black British seafarers have made to some of the most significant maritime events of the past 500 years and the many thought-provoking exhibits and personal stories offer a unique insight into the overlooked history of Britain’s Black sailors.
One of the last exhibits, featuring Belinda Bennett, brings us bang to date as, in 2016, she became the first Black female captain working in the cruise industry.
If you can’t get to Liverpool (the exhibition is on at least until September) then Ray’s book ‘Black Salt – Seafarers of African Descent on British Ships’ is an excellent alternative.