Once
upon a time,
before the town of Portsmouth was founded, this coastline was made
up of creeks, low-lying marsh and water. Over the centuries the coastline
has altered, but the town's position here on the south coast, its
proximity to the open sea, coupled with control of the harbour and
its entrance, have secured Portsmouth's place in history as one of
the world's great anchorages and a rendezvous for British shipping
in times of war for over 800 years.
Object identification at Portsmouth City Museums and Records Service
Portsmouth City Museums and Records Service offers a free object identification service based at the City Museum, Museum Road, Portsmouth.
Got something historical and what to know what it is?
If you have found something in the attic or while digging in the garden and you want to know what it is please contact us at the City Museum & Records Office on 023 9282 7261. You can also reach us via our website www.portsmouthcitymuseums.co.uk, click on ‘Enquiries’ and then select the right link for you.
Please contact us in advance before bringing the object to the museum. Without prior warning, staff are not always available to deal with enquiries.
What happens next?
We might be able to answer your questions over the phone if not we will book you into to see us. We might need to keep your object for a while to conduct research. If this happens we will give you a receipt that we call an Entry Form, to make sure that we have correctly noted your details and anything relevant about the object.
Within four months we should have identified your object if we can and you will be contacted. We cannot hold objects on Entry Forms for longer than this. If they are not collected after this time and we have reminded you - we will be forced to dispose of them.
How much is it worth?
Sorry, we can only identify an object and tell you of its historical significance.
As local government officials we cannot give financial valuations or recommend businesses in the antiques trade. We can however tell you where to look for publicly available listings of such businesses should you need them.
What about my personal information?
All personal information given will be restricted to our use under the Data Protection Act 1998.
