Fine Art

This collection comprises of about 300 works, covering oils, watercolours, pen and pencil drawings, charcoal works, prints, engravings and etchings, painted signs, embroidered wall hangings and collage. The collection includes a number of canvasses by accomplished artists such as Sam Bough, John McGhie, Franc Martin and Andrew Gamely. There are also a number of watercolours, notably the Thomas Thomson Collection and many other pieces associated with the sea and fishing communities of Scotland.

Fishing Vessels

The Museum's boat collection consists of 16 vessels used for fishing or of maritime interest in Fife.

Model Boats

The collection comprises approximately 110 models of fishing vessels, builder's half models, ships in bottles, sailing models and engines. The collection is broadly representative and includes modern fishing vessels. There is some material associated with the whaling industry and also the merchant sailing ships associated with Anstruther.

Associated Industries

The various industries associated with and supporting the fishing industry are well represented. The collection is particularly strong in wooden boat-building equipment: this includes the Smith & Hutton Yard Collection, cooperage tools and equipment, Fish Market material and Fish Merchant's records, including the Wm Aitken Collection. There is also a large number of items from the Cardy Net Making Factory, Lower Largo, Fife.

Fishing Vessel Equipment

This collection is particularly strong in lights, flares and navigational aids. The associated document archive contains a number of fishing charts and log books. The collection also includes engines and associated equipment, hauling gear, fish finding and navigation and communication equipment, galley equipment, safety equipment and discharging gear.

Fishing Equipment

The collection of fishing gear is particularly strong in nets and lines. The museum also holds part of the Buckland Collection of Salmon and Eel spears. The main areas of gathering, trapping and hunting methods are also represented.

Costume

The museum holds a collection of fisher folk costume, both working clothes and Sunday Best. The collection comprises around 1000 items and is strong on items from the East Neuk of Fife. There are also Newhaven Fishwives Choir costumes based upon the Newhaven "Gala" dress.

Social and Domestic Life

This is a collection of domestic items from the fisher homes of the East Coast, including furniture, cooking untensils and decorative items. Social history and fishing personalities are also covered in the Photographic and Document Archive.

Marine Biology and Sea Mammals

The whaling and sealing collection is small but includes a number of harpoons, tools and samples from Christian Salvesen of Leith and whalebone and scrimshaw items. There is also an extensive collection of model fish species from the Buckland Collection.

RNLI and HM Costguard

This is a very small collection which reflects the role played by fishermen in the lifeboat and coastguard service.

East Neuk Maritime History

The museum holds a collection of models, paintings and artefacts associated with the clipper ship activity of the area, such as Captains Keay and Rodger of Ariel and Taeping. This collection also includes the cannonball allegedly fired by John Paul Jones at the May Island.

Photographic & Document Archive and Library

This collection consists of around 10,000 negatives and a further 5,000 slides of all aspects and areas of the fishing industry. It contains a number of records on cine film and video tape, including the building of the Great Liner, "Radiation" outside the present Museum site, at Anstruther. The document archive includes collections of charts, plans and documents concerning all aspects of the Scottish Fishing Industry and the personalities within it. The Miller Collection of plans and drawings from Miller's Boatyard has added significantly to this collection.

Fife is well represented with boat ledgers, cash books and fish sellers records. The specialist library houses around 1500 items on and related to fishing and is particularly strong in fishing related periodicals, Fishing News publications and Governmental Statistical Publications from the 19th century onwards. The collection also includes approximately 50 oral history tapes.