The collection of nearly 270 oil paintings forms one of the most important holdings of the Merseyside Maritime Museum. The main strength of the collection is the work of ship portraitists working in Liverpool in the nineteenth century. All the main artists are represented with key works by Samuel Walters, Joseph Heard, John Jenkinson, Parker Greenwood, Thomas Dove and W H Yorke. The collection includes asmall selection of important paintings dating from the late eighteenth century, including the earliest Liverpool ship portrait and one of the few surviving representations of a slave ship. There are also works by the best-known twentieth century artists based in the port of Liverpool.

The Illustrated Catalogue of Marine Paintings includes 286 illustrations of which 275 are reproduced in colour. Anthony Tibbles (Curator of Maritime History) provides a detailed and comprehensive narrative for each of the paintings together with details of acquisition, provenance and exhibition history. The catalogue also includes an historical introduction to the collection and to the Liverpool school of marine artists, as well as guidance notes, a bibliography and a comprehensive index. PRICES