Royal Museums Greenwich encompasses four attractions: the National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Royal Observatory and the Cutty Sark. The institution also houses the world’s most extensive naval collection and welcomes over 2.2 million visitors annually. This year also sees the Royal Observatory celebrate its 350th anniversary, with commemorative events highlighting its pivotal role in scientific advancements.

Licensing Link Europe will helm licensing and merchandising initiatives across various product categories, initially focusing on timekeeping, social expression, home décor, apparel and collectables.

“We’re thrilled to be appointed as RMG’s licensing representative and to collaborate with their team,” said Chris Taday and Ian Wickham, Co-Founders of Licensing Link Europe.

“The breadth of their assets presents an extraordinary opportunity to create unique and engaging merchandise ranges. With the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be better for launching this exciting partnership.”

Karen Eden-Tuxford, Head of Commerce and Visitor Experience at Royal Museums Greenwich, added: “We are pleased to be taking this next step in developing our licensing programme and are delighted to be working with Licensing Link. Together with Chris and Ian, we look forward to sharing our collection with new audiences and making the most of the exciting opportunities the next few years present”.

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You are attending BLE this year. Do you have some particular objectives for the show?
We are keen to widen our pool of licensees and investigate opportunities both within and outside traditional heritage licensing. We have an amazing archive of art and objects which we hope to share, as well as showcasing the brands and what they represent.

Can you pick out some highlights from your licensing programme – current or past examples?
We are especially proud of our relationship with Celestron and the growing range of telescopes which continue to perform strongly and also supports STEM learning.

Our collaboration with Playpress Toys is also one we are very proud of. One example is a Pirate Island – a sustainable, durable and long lasting playboard toy. Eco and environmentally friendly products are important to our values and our approach to the human impact on climate change.

Given the richness and variety of your collection, how do you manage to prioritise things what you bring into licensing?
We spend a lot of time working with licensees to identify their needs. The team have many years of experience in both licensing but also image research and photography and we have some amazing and very dedicated curators who are incredibly supportive.

How do you integrate licensing into your own retail business and product development?
We work extremely closely with our own retail team. They are a separate business and all licensed product is stocked on its own merit rather than a matter of course. We work closely together on strategy, identifying gaps in our offer and agreeing on the best routes to fill this, be it bespoke or licensed.

Are there any anniversaries on the horizon for RMG? This seems a core part of heritage licensing.
Heritage licensing loves an anniversary! Yes, the Royal Observatory will be 350 in 2025 – a huge milestone for us. While the details are still being worked on, we are of course eager to hear from licensees who would like to work on this celebration with us.

Finally, if a visitor had limited time in your museums, what three items would you recommend they should see?
This is a very subjective thing but I would choose the Shepherd Motor Clock. I have been on many tours of the Observatory recently with perspective licensees and this is now firmly my favourite. It looks very unassuming and could easily be missed amongst other clocks, but this is one of the most important clocks ever made. From 1852 to 1893 it was the heart of Britain’s time system. It sent time by telegraph wires to London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Belfast and even Harvard in Massachusetts via transatlantic submarine cable. A sympathetic dial connected to this clock, at the gates of the Royal Observatory, was the first clock to ever show Greenwich Mean Time directly to the public.

I’d also choose the Tulip staircase, located on the ground floor of the Queen’s House, Greenwich. It was the first geometric self-supporting spiral stair in Britain. The elegant blue wrought iron structure creates a striking contrast with the pristine white. Its iconic design has attracted millions of people to visit – from tourists to architects to budding photographers.

And my last ‘object’ would have to be ‘Nanny’, Cutty Sark’s figurehead. Figureheads are carved wooden sculptures that decorate the prows of sailing ships. In the perilous life of a ship at sea, figureheads were seen as lucky charms… They represented the spirit of the ship, protecting the crew from harsh seas and helping to guide them safely home. Nanny is inspired by a Robert Burns poem – the same poem inspired the ship’s name. She is truly formidable looking.

Great picks. Thanks Abigail.

Images courtesy of @NationalMaritimeMuseum

The post “Heritage licensing loves an anniversary!”: Royal Museums Greenwich’s Abigail Ratcliffe on why 2025 is a big year for the Royal Observatory appeared first on Brands Untapped.

What’s been your best BLE memory?
I think the best memories are made when someone who you have wanted to speak to for ages casually wanders onto your stand and mentions they want to work with you… I won’t name anyone specifically but some of the best deals I have done have come from that sort of synching at BLE.

And what makes for a good BLE meeting?
Being open to new ideas. Heritage licensing is all about looking at things slightly differently and bringing new ideas to the table.

Good answer. And what’s your key aim for this year’s BLE?
Meeting new licensees for our brands and exploring new opportunities. I am still fairly new to Royal Museums Greenwich and I am really excited about talking to licensees for the first time about what we can offer.

Before we let you go, can you give us a BLE tip or recommendation? Could be a restaurant, pub, venue or show advice…
Pace yourself! Three days of meetings can be very intense, especially if you add in all the evening social side.

Wise words! Where is Royal Museums Greenwich housed at this year’s show?
We’re at B279.

Great stuff. Thanks Abigail.

If you still haven’t registered for BLE this year, click here to do so!

BLE 2023 runs at ExCeL London from October 4th to 6th 2023.

The post BLE tips & tricks with… Royal Museums Greenwich’s Abigail Ratcliffe appeared first on Brands Untapped.