The age of steam saw ships and shipbuilding transformed with larger ships carrying more and more goods around the globe at increasingly faster speeds. The fixtures, fittings and cargo from steam ships are well represented within the collection.  

19th century steam ships include the early steam cargo ship SS Faith (now a scheduled ancient monument) and the SS Grip Fast. While the number of cargo ships lost during the First World War show the diversity of the cargoes being transported in what was still an ‘age of Empire’. Just some of the ships from which there are artefacts on display include Camberwell, Highland Brigade, Kurland, Kyarra and Molina.