When Henry VIII's flagship, The Mary Rose, re-surfaced after 437 years under water, the event was witnessed live by television audiences in excess of 60 million around the world.

It was a monumental moment for maritime archaeology and a major advance in our understanding of the Tudor period. Following the successful recovery of the ship and more than 19,000 artefacts, the fascinating story of life onboard was revealed. The Mary Rose is indeed a unique time capsule and one of the world's most precious heritage icons.

The Hidden Treasures of the Mary Rose, a partnership between Whitgift School, The Mary Rose Trust, The Whitgift Foundation and Croydon Council, is the first major exhibition of Mary Rose artefacts to take place outside Portsmouth. While planning the exhibition, the organisers took the opportunity to exchange plans and ideas with The Mary Rose Trust, custodians of over 19,000 artefacts recovered from The Mary Rose, as the Trust is deeply involved in planning a new Mary Rose museum - due to be opened in 2012.

The exhibition was a place where history came alive in unique and amazing ways. There were exciting learning opportunities for visitors of all ages including school groups, adults, families and community groups through hierarchical text and graphics layout. The exciting and inspirational galleries revealed stunning hidden treasures from the Mary Rose, and uncovered the fascinating stories behind them. As well as displaying many of the finest, previously unseen treasures, the exhibition provided fascinating insights into the daily life of those onboard. The most popular exhibit was without doubt the face of one of the crew members, revealed for the first time thanks to pioneering computer-generated imagery and facial reconstruction techniques. The reconstructed skeleton of a dog, caught in a doorway when the ship sank (and aptly named 'Hatch' for the exhibition), was the star of the show as far as the kids were concerned.

TESS Demountable showcases from ClickNetherfield were chosen to display more than 200 artefacts. The TESS cases complemented the modern simplicity of the venue, whilst providing the highest possible build quality, environmental control and security.

Mark Ellis,
Exhibition Designer,
Mary Rose exhibition

The TESS cases complemented the modern simplicity of the venue, whilst providing the highest possible build quality, environmental control and security.

Mark Ellis,
Exhibition Designer,
Mary Rose exhibition