ABSTRACT
As an introduction to the holdings of mathematical instruments at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, this chapter looks at some examples of instruments now in the collection and at the stories behind them. These include instruments associated with the Royal Observatory Greenwich, founded in 1675. The Observatory stood for a long time at the forefront of developments in instrumentation before its original buildings were passed to the custodianship of the National Maritime Museum in the 1950s. Other examples illustrate some of the stories more generally associated with Greenwich and the activities that have taken place there. These include the teaching and practice of marine navigation and hydrographic surveying, the decision to change the calendar in Britain, and the development of instrumental aids for mathematical practice.
