Tucked into the basement floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum at Albert Dock in Liverpool, Seized! The Border and Customs Uncovered holds the national collection of HM Revenue and Customs – one of the most significant collections of its type anywhere in the world. The gallery traces the story of smuggling and contraband from the 1700s right through to the present day, drawing on centuries of cat-and-mouse confrontations between smugglers and the authorities.
What You’ll Find Inside
The collection brings together an extensive range of material: tools of the trade used by customs officers, prints, paintings and photographs documenting the work of border and revenue agencies across the centuries. Alongside these are displays exploring the often dangerous world of prohibited goods and concealment – the ingenious methods smugglers have used to hide contraband and the equally determined efforts to catch them. Since a £500,000 refurbishment completed from May 2008, the exhibition has included interactive elements and family-friendly displays, with Fraser Randall carrying out the design work on behalf of National Museums Liverpool. The construction company produced setworks, audio-visual installations and graphics throughout the space.
History of the Museum
The museum was first established in 1994 through a partnership between National Museums Liverpool and HM Customs & Excise. In 2005, HM Customs & Excise merged with the Inland Revenue to form HM Revenue and Customs, and the gallery was renamed accordingly in May 2008, becoming known as Seized! Revenue and Customs Uncovered. A further change came in 2009 when the UK Border Agency took on a lead partnership role, prompting another rebrand to Seized! The Border and Customs Uncovered. When the UK Border Agency itself was renamed Border Force in 2012, the full official title became the Border Force National Museum. Throughout these administrative shifts, the collection has remained in the basement of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, freely accessible as part of a visit to the Albert Dock.