New perspectives on Norwegian shipyard history

Project period: 2023-2025  
Funding: Seminars, editorial work, and printing of the anthology is covered by the project.
Contact person(s) in Østfoldmuseene:
Desirée Nævdal, responsible for cultural heritage water, desiree.naevdal@ostfoldmuseene.no
Marianne Løken, director of research and development, marianne.loken@ostfoldmuseene.no

The research project "New perspectives on Norwegian shipyard history" is initiated, owned and managed by head of research (arstein.svihus@museumvest.no) at Museum Vest. It is harboured within the two national museum networks: The Maritime Network, as well as the Network for Fisheries History and Coastal Culture.

Individuals within Norwegian and foreign scientific institutions will also contribute to the project. Preliminary themes include shipyards as an expression of international trends in working life, innovation and restructuring. Other topics are how individual shipyards, shipyard history, and associated cultural heritage and intangible skills e skills are managed, disseminated, and explored within museums and other cultural institutions. The focus is on shipyards as a historical phenomenon with an open approach to what is understood as "shipyard history".

• Gather a broad professional environment in the form of museums, universities, and colleges - Publish level 1 anthology with a broad thematic approach to shipyards.
• Be a starting point for historical perspectives on Norwegian shipyards in a local, regional, national, or transnational and museum perspective.
• Filling a knowledge gap about shipyards.

• Aust-Agder Museum and Archives
• Bergen Maritime Museum
• The university in Volda
• Museum West
• The Østfold museums

Østfold Museum's sub-project will focus on the shipyards that delivered ships and other constructions to the organisations that managed the fleeting of timber, as a way of transportation. Our aim is to explain the connections between shipyards, mechanical workshops, shipyard owners, investors, and shipowners in Eastern Norway during the latter half of the 19th century, starting with vessels built specifically to meet needs in timber floating. The article will have a historical, economic/organisational and technical perspective. Geographically, the sub-project will emphasize the area east of the Oslofjord east with the south-eastern border areas and Norwegian/Swedish waterways connected to Smaalenenes County.

Some relevant shipyards would be Brevig's shipyard in Halden, Nylands Mekaniske Verksted in Oslo, Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted, but especially Glommen Mekaniske Verksted in Kråkerøy. The local and regional perspective is emphasized, but also the link to Sweden, especially with Motala, in addition to knowledge from England and the continent.

Publication and dissemination from the project Østfoldmuseene's article and the empirical evidence on which it is based will also provide the basis for a curated digital exhibition in the VirtueltMuseum.