This is the V&A Museum of Childhood’s first major exhibition to focus on fictional pirates and their influence in popular culture.

Developed in collaboration with children, the exhibition’s immersive and playful set design takes its young visitors into an imaginary swashbuckling world of adventure and exploration where they will travel from a moody coastal inn to a tropical treasure island in search of sparkling riches. At its heart a large-scale pirate ship inspires learning through active play.

On display key loans and objects from the V&A’s collections, including toys, games, books, illustrations and comics, spanning over 300 years, chart the reimagination of pirates in popular children’s culture from Victorian Britain to the present day. Real pirate coins and treasures bring visitors into contact with a more authentic world, allowing them to see what influenced their favourite pirate characters.

Highlights include the first painting of Captain Pugwash, an original illustrated costume design for Captain Hook for the first production of Peter Pan in 1904, Lego’s iconic Black Seas Barracuda ship and real eighteenth century Spanish doubloons..

Admission free

20 October 2018 – 22 April 2019

See more HERE