Collections
The 75,000 items housed in the Brunel Institute make up one of the world’s leading collections: explore our database. The collection has been awarded Designation status by the Arts Council England, identifying it as a collection of outstanding national and international importance.
Developed with the University of Bristol, the National Brunel Collection is the world’s leading collection on Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his father. Spanning centuries of maritime history, it ranges from a 1703 naval tract to Brunel’s original logs, photographs, diaries, sketches and letters.
Explore one of the UK’s leading maritime research libraries, with over 10,000 books, journals and historic publications spanning centuries of seafaring knowledge.
A comprehensive collection documenting the design, voyages, and human stories of the SS Great Britain and the dawn of transatlantic steam travel.
Explore an unparalleled archive, featuring thousands of ship plans, photographs and research materials collected by renowned historian David MacGregor.
Step into the life of the last Master in Sail through a rich archive of diaries, photographs and meticulously documented sailing vessels from Cpt. Adrian Small.
Beyond these remarkable objects, the Institute also cares for an extensive research archive dedicated to 19th-century maritime history, open and accessible to those eager to explore further. Alongside this, visitors will find a welcoming maritime reference library, covering everything from naval architecture and shipbuilding to seamanship, as well as the social and economic stories of life and work at sea.
