A full and intact letter from Horatio Nelson to Francis Drake, British Minister in Genoa, in his own hand is on display at The Atkinson from 3 September until Saturday 31 October.

The letter dated August 16 1795; from Falls Bay expresses Nelson’s disappointment to Drake about him not seeing Admiral Hotham until his return from Leghorn and asking if he knows ‘the exact plans which this army is to follow, at present I am totally in the dark’;

The letter, written by Nelsons’s own hand before he lost it at Santa Cruz on the 24 of July 1797 is an unrecorded document written a few months after the battle of Genoa when Nelson was still involved in patrolling the Italian coast.

The letter has been kindly loaned by Roger Martin, a local resident with a passion for history. He recently acquired the genuine letter penned by Lord Nelson. He decided that such a special item deserved to be made public for others to see and approached The Atkinson.

Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) was a British Naval commander and a national hero, famous for his naval victories against the French during the Napoleonic Wars.

Over the period of 1794-1805, under Nelson’s leadership, the Royal Navy proved its supremacy over the French. His most famous engagement at Cape Trafalgar, saved Britain from invasion by Napoleon, but it would be his last. Whilst leading the attack on the combined French and Spanish fleet, he was killed by a French sniper. His body was placed in barrel of brandy to preserve it and he was brought back to England where he was given a state funeral.

The letter will be on display from September until the Saturday 31 October together with a painting of HMS Victory from The Atkinson’s permanent collection which the Gallery is hoping to have restored.

If you would like to know more about Nelson and his flagship HMS Victory then Stephen Whittle Principle Manager: Museum, Galleries and Operations is delivering the Object of the Month talk on a painting of Nelson’s flagship by Richard Henry Nibbs on Wednesday 9 September at 1pm. The talk is free and everyone is welcome.

Object of the month is a regular programme of short gallery talks that highlight different objects from the collections. Join us as we delve deeper in to our collections and reveal new stories every month.

The Talks take place on the second Wednesday of every month at 1pm in the Galleries, no need to book – all the talks are free!

For more information on all the talks and the full programme of events and activities available at The Atkinson then please visit theatkinson.co.uk or call Box Office on 01704 533333.
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LISTING INFORMATION
Object of the Month
Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, a painting by Richard Henry Nibbs
1pm
Free

The Atkinson
Lord Street
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 1DB

HOW TO BOOK
In person: Visit The Atkinson box office on Lord Street
For tickets: visit the website theatkinson.co.uk or call box office on 01704 533333

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About The Atkinson
The Atkinson is Southport’s beautiful new home for music, theatre, art, poetry, literature and history, right in the middle of Lord Street in Southport. Significant investment has been made in refurbishing the stunning 19th century buildings, to create a really welcoming multi art-form venue with a strong contemporary feel.

The Atkinson offers an exciting and varied destination for families, cultural tourists and arts enthusiasts alike, with a full day and night time offer. Wile the day away visiting the new shop, that sells gifts and contemporary crafts from regional makers and then relax in the Bakery, choosing from a selection of artisan bread sandwiches, cakes and sharing platters. You can even take little bit of The Atkinson home with you from the delicatessen. Wander through the major exhibitions and see performances from some of the UK’s foremost musicians, actors, performers and companies, films, family activities and much more.

The new Museum is now open. Sefton Between Land & Sea tells the story of Southport and Sefton as well as the area’s dramatic maritime history. While Discover Ancient Egypt – the new Egyptology Gallery is the home of the Goodison Egyptology Collection, a remarkable collection of archaeology that has not been seen for over 40 years.

Posted on 7 September 2015 under General news