At the start of the #SecondWorldWar, 85 years ago today, the general population were already prepared. From 1938 the government issued about 38 million gas masks. This ‘Mickey Mouse’ gas mask from our museum collection was intended to look less scary for children #Southampton

In 1940, armed merchant ship Jervis Bay saved many lives by protecting a convoy from attack by the German warship Admiral Scheer. Jervis Bay and five merchant ships were sunk with the loss of hundreds of lives #MerchantNavyDay #Southampton

During the Second World War gardening was of vital importance to the war effort. This leaflet from our archive gives notice of a ‘Dig for Victory’ competition held in 1944 to raise money for the Red Cross and other charities #SouthamptonsWar #Southampton

Happy Southampton Pride!.To celebrate our LGBTQ+ community we’d like to share one of our favourite love stories: The tale of the accidental stowaway Dominic and his partner of 50 years, Michael.#LoveIsLove #LGBTQHistory #SouthamptonPride #SOProud❤️💛💚💙💜

📷 shows an 1834 medal from our museum collection, commemorating the abolition of slavery in the British colonies. You can explore #Southampton’s links with the transatlantic slave trade in our exhibition at @SeaCityMuseum #SlaveryRemembranceDay

We take streetlights like these for granted, but it wasn’t until 1819-20 that proper lighting in the form of gas lamps was brought in, using gas from works in Northam. The pillars holding up the lights were supplied by #Southampton MP William Chamberlayne #SotonAfterDark

At the end of #WW2 many thousand British Prisoners of War and civilian internees were repatriated from the Far East on board former merchant ships. The memorial plaque in Town Quay Park commemorates the people who returned and those who did not #FEPoW #Southampton #VJDay

#OnThisDay in 1940, the International Cold Store was destroyed during an air raid at #Southampton Docks. The fire caused by the bombing burned for 9 days due to the store containing 2300 tons of butter and it was a major blow to national food supplies #WW2 #Blitz @SeaCityMuseum

Today is 110 years since the start of the #FirstWorldWar. Like elsewhere, the young men of #Southampton flocked to recruiting centres to join up. 📷 show a 1914 recruitment poster from our museum collection and a #Southampton tram used for recruitment #WW1 #OnThisDay

On 27 July 1925, the Royal Italian Circus began a week’s shows at the Hippodrome Theatre on Ogle Road, as this leaflet from our archives shows. The circus included acrobats, trapeze artists, clowns and performing animals #SotonAfterDark #Circus #Theatre #Southampton #1920s

RT @OctoberBooks: Read all about this famous Southampton son! 👏🏾👏🏼.

In 1785, William Shawyer became the last person to be hanged in #Southampton. He was convicted of stealing some silver from his employer and was held in the prison in God’s House Tower before his trial #SotonAfterDark #1700s

#IsaacWatts was born #OnThisDay 350 years ago, on 17 July 1674. This famous son of #Southampton is commemorated with a statue by local artist Richard Cockle Lucas, which stands in Watts park, renamed in 1861 in his honour. 📷shows the unfinished statue in the artist’s studio

With the final of the men’s #EURO2024 tonight, we thought it would be a good time to share this 1961 photo from our archives showing some young footballers in #Southampton playing the beautiful game, with Queen Elizabeth in the background #ArchiveSecrets #Football #1960s

Penguins at the zoo on Southampton Common in 1962. The zoo was opened by James Chipperfield of the famous circus family, operating for nearly 25 years before it closed in 1985 #ArchiveSecrets #Zoo #Southampton #1960s

Jack Mantle was awarded the Victoria Cross in July 1940 for his brave action while serving as an Anti-Aircraft Gunner on board HMS Foylebank. This commemorative plaque is now part of our #Southampton Stories exhibition @SeaCityMuseum #ArmedForcesDay #WW2

The Floating Dock opened #OnThisDay in 1924. It was the largest dock in the world and helped keep #Southampton ahead in the competition to accommodate the world’s largest liners until the opening of the King George V Dock in 1933. The dock was sold to Portsmouth in 1939

Today’s #SummerSolstice will be celebrated at #Stonehenge, which has attracted visitors from near and far through the ages. These photographs from our museum collection were taken by US Army personnel on a visit to Stonehenge in 1945, an easy drive from their base in #Southampton

Beware if you’re travelling to the New Forest this summer, as you might just see a ghost and hear “shivery screams”, as this 1936 article from the Hampshire Advertiser states! #SotonAfterDark #Ghosts #1930s

If you want to explore the vital role that #Southampton played in #DDay, follow our new D-Day Trail to discover key locations linked to the event. You can find this free walking route on the Go Jauntly app: