James Boyd – Director of the Brunel Institute
James leads the Brunel Institute, a collaboration between the SS Great Britain Trust and the University of Bristol. He looks after everything from the Trust’s collections and research to its conservation, education and engagement work, helping make sure the stories behind the SS Great Britain stay alive and relevant.
James’ career in universities, research institutes and museums has focused on the history of European emigration and its connection to the maritime and shipping world. That background shapes his work with the BI, bringing a human perspective to the ship’s history and the many journeys connected to it.
The Institute ensures that the Trusts collections are both cared for and continuously used to make new discoveries, connections and opportunities to engage with the Great Britain. This means working with researchers from the UK and around the world, students, volunteers and people from across Bristol’s communities, uncovering new stories and creating new ways to connect with the ship through exhibitions, publications, learning programmes and our hands‑on projects.
The Bell of the Great Western
the last surviving piece of the world’s first engine‑powered ocean‑going ship. It marks the beginning of a new maritime era, when the world’s oceans could be crossed independently of the weather. It was a path that would quickly lead to the SS Great Britain, and which fundamentally shapes our world today.