DISCOVER OUR EXHIBITIONS
Scenography
The exhibitions, displayed with such emphatic scenography, combine scientific and pedagogical elements to give visitors a global understanding of Cameroon's maritime heritage. Expositions at the Douala Maritime Museum give each visitor a unique revelation of the ancient and current treasures of Cameroon's maritime culture as they present man in his natural environment. A historic overview of trade along the Cameroonian coast and its evolution over the years at its different ports.
The different components of the exhibitions adequately depict the various aspects of the scientific discourse embodied by the artefacts in the exhibition halls. The aim is to create an atmosphere that helps to give meaning and context to the different themes. The Douala Maritime Museum's main task is to regularly review its exhibitions such that they reflect the different themes treated and to inform its visitors on Cameroon's maritime history and other interesting subjects.
Exhibitions
On the whole, the Douala Maritime Museum is home to a rich and varied collection of about 3,000 historical, cultural and artistic objects. These include paintings, sculptures, photographs, traditional fishing tools, shells, maps and videos. The collections date back to the very first Museum created by the Cameroon National Shippers' Council (CNSC) in the 80s. Amongst the objects found and restored, there are some fishing and navigation instruments and many paintings by foreign and local artists and craftsmen. As a means to having a rich art collection, the Douala Maritime Museum received articles either as donations or on loan for display, from the Douala City Council (CUD), Boluda Cameroun, a towing company based in Douala; the Single window for foreign trade operations (GUCE); the Lima Art Museum in the Grand Batanga area in Kribi, and the Bimbia Rural Council. Some individuals with a devout interest in culture, such as Mr. Valère Epée, have done a great deal to enrich the collection. Besides donations or loaned objects, the Douala Maritime Museum has commissioned artists to make models of ships from the South-West region, tracing the evolution of ship construction. The Museum equally acquired traditional fishing tools purchased from the local fishermen.
The Douala Maritime Museum owns a sailing simulator which serves as a real training tool and is accessible by professionals and trainees wishing to have real-time sailing experience during their training. The device recreates the scenario of a navigation session and also gives visitors a glimpse of the different techniques of maritime navigation.
Visit this museum and find out more about Cameroon's history, its land, its waters and the interdependency that exists between them.