An exploration of the museum souvenir, it's value, and it's relationship to the original artefact

Artist Christopher Lee has been working with volunteers at Portland Museum to respond creatively to finds from the shipwreck of the Earl of Abergavenny shipwreck, an East India Company vessel that sank in Weymouth Bay in 1805. The finds are being digitised in a landmark project for the museum, and Familiar Histories continues their journey through the social, digital, and physical realm.

The resulting work is a sculptural installation of ‘souvenirs’, handcrafted in clay then digitally captured through photogrammetry, manipulated and then 3D printed to create the souvenirs on display.

The work is an exploration of the museum souvenir, it’s value, and it’s relationship to the original artefact from which it is derived.

The ‘souvenirs’ are also available to purchase at a small fee, so look out for the bespoke vending machines near The D-Day Centre, Outpost and from our own travelling salesman.