Society for Nautical Research

**About Us** The Society for Nautical Research, founded in 1910, is the world’s premier maritime history society. It publishes [The Mariner’s Mirror](https://snr.org.uk/the-mariners-mirror-archive/), the leading international journal of maritime history, and also plays an important role in preserving and promoting the maritime heritage of the UK. It was instrumental in saving Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory in 1922 and has been closely associated with her restoration ever since. The Society was also instrumental in founding the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich and the Royal Naval Museum at Portsmouth, now part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy. Today, the society undertakes a wide range of activities which both promote maritime history and provide substantial benefits to its members: - Members receive quarterly issues of both our peer-reviewed journal [The Mariner’s Mirror](https://snr.org.uk/the-mariners-mirror-archive/) and [Topmasts](https://snr.org.uk/news/), the society’s online magazine. - Members also receive significant concessions at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth: *On production of their valid SNR membership card the SNR member receives free access to all NMRN attractions at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (Including the Gosport sites i.e. Explosion and the Submarine and Coastal Forces Museums but not the Mary Rose) and a 10% discount at NMRN gift shops.* *Further, an SNR member who can produce their valid SNR membership card may be accompanied by one guest and that guest will receive free access to HMS Victory and the HMS Victory Gallery at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. If more than one guest is present, the additional guests may purchase the single attraction ticket fee, less 20% discount, and may then access HMS Victory and the HMS Victory Gallery.* *Should the member’s guests wish to visit attractions other than HMS Victory and the HMS Victory Gallery at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard the guest will need to purchase the relevant Single Attraction, Three Attraction or Ultimate Explorer ticket.* - The society organises its own conferences and sponsors others, including [the annual conference for new researchers in maritime history](https://www.maritimehistory.org.uk/new-researchers/). - It provides grants to support the work of individual students, academics and independent researchers. - Through its Save the Victory fund, it continues to provide substantial sums for the ongoing refurbishment of the ship. - It provides funding which enables the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, to purchase important works of art. - The society occasionally provides funds for major projects, such as the refurbishment of [the Victory gallery](https://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/site-attractions/attractions/victory-gallery) at Portsmouth and the [First World War Lives at Sea](https://royalnavyrecordsww1.rmg.co.uk) online resource. It [awards prizes](https://snr.org.uk/researchsnr/awards/): the Anderson Medal for the best maritime history book published in a given year, an Anderson Lifetime Achievement Award, the Centenary Medal and the Victory Medal. - The society organises events for members. The Society has a vibrant international membership of likeminded scholars and enthusiasts of all matters maritime. Although our name includes the word ‘research’ for historic reasons, members are certainly not expected necessarily to be undertaking serious academic research! Our membership includes people whose interests include, for example, historical fiction, maritime art and photography, and the practical side of historic watercraft. We warmly welcome new members of all ages, nationalities and maritime interests.