New exhibition explores 100 years of Portsmouth life
Free museum exhibition marks Portsmouth’s centenary with personal stories and donated artwork.
100 years of Portsmouth history takes centre stage in a new exhibition featuring personal memories, local stories and a special artwork gifted to the city.
The new exhibition ‘Portsmouth 100: Your museum. Your stories. Your city’ celebrating Portsmouth’s centenary is set to open to the public on Monday (October 26), featuring a major artwork gifted to the city by a world-renowned local artist.
Spanning three galleries and 20 themed sections at a revamped Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery, the free exhibition explores the people, places and memories that have shaped Portsmouth since it was granted city status in 1926.
Displays cover everything from football and music to transport, theatres and the Dockyard, with local communities, organisations and history groups contributing photographs, memories and knowledge.
The five-year exhibition also features ‘Phases of the Moon VII’, a large oil painting created in 2026 and donated to Portsmouth Museums by Portsmouth-born artist Sir Christopher Le Brun.
The 75-year-old, who was born in the city in 1951, said Portsmouth’s geography had influenced his choice of artwork, describing how the city was surrounded by “landscape and seascapes”.
He said an image of the moon, something “universally shared”, felt appropriate for the centenary.
He added: “Portsmouth and the Solent seen from the top of Portsdown Hill reveals one of the greatest natural settings in the world, with its ideal harbour and momentous history.
“Growing up in these surroundings has deeply affected me as an artist. The sea is everywhere, and its sense of limitless possibility has guided my work ever since.”
One of the museum’s art galleries has been named after Sir Christopher to mark the occasion.
Portsmouth City Council leader Cllr Steve Pitt said it was “absolutely stunning” to see different parts of the community come together to contribute to the exhibition.
He described Portsmouth as “a very resilient place with a strong sense of self”, saying its history had been shaped by challenging times.
Cllr Pitt added that visitors would discover “surprises in every section”, including stories about events happening close to where they lived.
The exhibition is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and is free to visit from October 26.
For opening times and more information, visit portsmouthmuseums.co.uk