Monday 13th April 2026 7:30 pm

The Life and Expeditions of Vernon MacAndrew

As well as outlining Vernon MacAndrew’s remarkable life, this talk focuses on his
expeditions as an expert shell collector in the Red Sea (1922–24) and the Philippines
(1928–29), and on the remarkable images he took of everyday life in the communities he
lived and worked in.  The outcome of these expeditions was one of the largest
photographic collections of shells in colour before  WW2, and is unique in being linked to
expedition images showing where they were collected.  We will also see the earliest
images he took in 1905 on the River Nile, which established his photographic style and
his interest in river, maritime life and the many different sailing ships and boats that plied
their trade at the time.

Our Speaker

Jonathan Turner is Vice Chair of Dartmouth Museum and Chair of the South West
Maritime History Society. After a career in marketing, he retired to Dartmouth and
became deeply immersed in the town’s history.  In December 2025, the Museum was
donated the Vernon MacAndrew Photographic Archive of 5,000 images, many of them
rare and in early colour.  Jonathan is now Project Lead on the MacAndrew Project,
organising its conservation,  and bringing this remarkable collection to wider public
attention. Jonathan’s talks explore large historical shifts through the experiences of the ordinary
people who lived through them, bringing the human story behind economic and maritime
history vividly to life.