Heritage Malta signed a loan agreement with the Cousteau Foundation, enabling the national agency to exhibit a selection of objects that were used by Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, as of 2021 when major structural works at the Malta Maritime Museum are expected to conclude.
“Thanks to this agreement, we keep on enriching our museums and their exhibits, providing our society, as well as tourists, with a unique opportunity to view numerous artefacts which were used by the legendary Captain Cousteau who truly had Malta at heart,” says Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici, according to a press statement issued by the government’s Department of Information (DOI).
“As a government, we are committed to keep on providing a more accessible culture sector, and thanks to such initiatives we can continue to create more awareness on our history as an island nation for all to appreciate,” the minister adds.
Under the agreement, the exhibits at the Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu will include a wooden rib taken from the original vessel Calypso which is going to be donated to Heritage Malta to become part of Malta’s national collection.
Cousteau had a deep fascination with the sea and a strong desire to reveal unknown and inaccessible places to the general public. Cousteau produced over 120 films and more than 50 books. Cousteau passed away a year later at the age of 87, according to the DOI statement.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer who became famous for his explorations, innovations, filmography and research. He studied the sea and all forms of life in water.