LEGO Lost at Sea exhibition coming to Cornwall this summer

An exhibition on the LEGO bricks washing up on British beaches is coming to a museum in Cornwall this summer, chronicling more than 25 years of LEGO lost at sea.

Adrift: Lost at Sea is inspired by beachcomber Tracey Williams’ 2022 book Adrift: The Curious Tale of the LEGO Lost at Sea, which charts more than a quarter-century of LEGO bricks and pieces washing up on beaches in Cornwall, England. In 1997, a rogue wave struck the Tokio Express, knocking 62 shipping containers into the ocean – including one filled with almost 5 million LEGO pieces.

Those very same elements are still coming ashore to this day, and Williams – who spearheads the LEGO Lost at Sea project – continues to show off her latest finds on Twitter. You’ll soon be able to learn more about the event and its aftermath at the Royal Cornwall Museum, which will host the Adrift: Lost at Sea exhibition from July 11 to September 23, 2023.

The exhibition is billed as ‘the story of what was lost and what was learned about the ocean, its currents and pollution’. No further details on the exhibition are available at the time of writing, but it seems safe to expect plenty of washed-up LEGO pieces – many of which are ironically nautical in theme – will be on display. We’ve reached out to Williams for more information.

Earlier this year, LEGO Lost at Sea scooped the Rescue Project of the Year award at the Current Archaeology Awards for 2023. “‘I would just like to thank all the people in Cornwall and beyond who pick up plastic from beaches, and all the fishermen who bring it up in their nets,” Williams said at the time. “This is for them.”

Williams has confirmed (via her Twitter account) that ‘several countries have expressed interest’ in the exhibition, so don’t worry if you’re not close to Cornwall: it might one day wash up a little nearer to you. In the meantime, you can learn more about Williams’ LEGO Lost at Sea project on Twitter, by reading our interview with the author, or by picking up her book.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO using our affiliate links.