A stunning new exhibition celebrating the 150th anniversary of Falmouth Docks is set to open at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall on December 2.

Falmouth has been used as a harbour for over 2,000 years and the docks have been an industrial hub since their creation in the mid-19th century. Through models, film, objects, paintings and stunning photography the exhibition explores their fascinating history, with a special focus on the dock’s heyday in the 1950s.

David Barnicoat, Falmouth’s senior pilot and Milly Newman, exhibitions development manager at the Maritime Museum, have been working together over the last few months to create an exhibition that acts as a legacy to what the docks have achieved, not only for itself, but for Falmouth as a whole.

Ms Newman says: “The docks have shaped the history of Falmouth and nearly everyone who lives in or near Falmouth has had their lives touched by them – either directly or by the industries supporting it.

The dock’s history is at the heart of Falmouth and in the heart of our exhibition is a beautiful model showing their scale and impact. It’s a real jewel amongthe many objects we have supporting the exhibition.”

Frank Eva, a retired employee of the docks, says: “Five generations of my family have worked at the docks. My great-grandfather helped build them, I worked in the fitting shop from the 1950s and my son works there today. You could say it’s in our blood. This exhibition not only tells the story of the docks but in some ways tells a part of my family’s and other family’s histories and I’m very proud it’s being celebrated.”

To really do justice to the docks’ story, the museum has created a new space which allows the exhibition to come alive. Floor to ceiling windows offer you the opportunity to see the hustle and bustle of the docks at work today whilst the new exhibition surrounds you in their history.

The exhibition opens on December 2 and runs until March 30, 2011.