Collections

Maritime Gallery exhibit photo

Our collection consists of objects, archives and photographs pertaining to Puget Sound’s maritime history.  We have extensive materials from Puget Sound’s Mosquito Fleet, shipyards, naval architects, and fishing industry.  For more in-depth descriptions of our collections, check out our ArtifactsArchives, Ship Plans, and Photographs pages or explore our collection through PastPerfect Online!

Donate!
While we don’t have endless amounts of space, we are always looking to enhance our collection with new artifacts, photograph collections, archival materials, and oral histories.  We welcome materials that are uniquely Puget Sound related, but do have a specific interest in filling the gaps in our collection – particularly regarding fishing culture, maritime sports and recreation, women in maritime, post-1970s material, maritime art/poetry/music, and diving.

First-hand accounts (especially oral histories) are encouraged!  Contact us if you have a great story to tell about Puget Sound’s maritime development, industry, recreation, or heritage.

If you have something that you’d like to donate to us, please fill out our Potential Item Donation Questionnaire form.  Our all-volunteer collections committee will meet to review donation offers, evaluating them for 1) overall fit for our mission, 2) unique and historical value, 3) condition and resources needed for preservation, and 4) size.  Objects best suited to our collection have strong and specific provenance, are in museum-quality condition, and represent a unique aspect of Puget Sound’s maritime history.  The committee meet as needed (usually quarterly), so please be patient – it could take a while for us to let you know if we are able to accept!