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FAMOUS SHIPS |
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FAMOUS SHIPS |
The Mariners Museum in Newport News
The museum is not only a fine example of a maritime museum with many marine paintings and artifacts, but also has the very excellent ship model collection of August F. Crabtree (who attended one of our meetings in the 1980's before he passed away) as well as a display of the models from this years Mariners' Museum Ship Model Competition. This is not one of those museums mentioned in several modeling magazines in the past several months which does not show many and varied ship models.
Archer M. Huntington founded the museum in 1930. His desire was that the museum collect, preserve, and interpret the material objects and cultural traditions that reflect the water's impact on mankind. This does not include just the Chesapeake Bay area, but the entire globe. Through the use of these artifacts, still and moving pictures and paintings, printed and written material, ship models, live demonstrations and ship modeling contests (Rolly Kalayjian won the gold medal in the scratch built small craft category and the August F. Crabtree award for the best of show model at the 1995 Mariners' Museum Ship Model Competition for his model of the WHITE WINGS).
Of particular interest to ship modelers is the Crabtree Collection of ship models. Built over a period of 28 years, the models start with a primitive Dugout and Raft. If memory serves me correctly, the raft has a figure on it, which is clothed in fur (the fur having been removed from a small rodent). The Egyptian Seagoing Vessel -- XVIII Dynasty (1580 1350 BC) is based on relief sculptures in the Temple of Deir el Bahari near the ancient city of Thebes in Egypt. The Roman Merchant Ship (circa 50 AD) is based on the Roman satirist Lucian's written description of the proportions of these type ships. This is believed to be the type of ship Saint Paul was shipwrecked in at Malta.
The Ship of William the Conqueror (1066) is based on the Bayeux Tapestry made after Duke William of Normandy invaded England. These ships were clinker built much like their Viking ancestors. The Santa Maria (1492) is represented based on a typical South European ship of the period, since the only written account of the actual vessel is in Columbus' Journal, which only names the sails that were set. The Pinta (1492) was also built, based on the statement in Columbus's Journal that she was a caravel but she was re-rigged with square sails on the foremast and mainmast.
The Venetian Galleass (circa 1650) is based on this type of ship that originated in Venice around this time. The Dutch Admiralty Yacht (circa 1660) is based on information supplied by the artists of that period. The English Royal Yacht (circa 1674) is based on the yacht given to King Charles 11 by the Dutch city of Amsterdam The English Warship of the Fourth Rate (circa 1687) was based on lines taken from one of the Admiralty models of the English warships built during this early period.
The information supplied by the French treatise on the construction of galleys provided the necessary information for the French Galley of Louis XIV (1690). The Venetian Gondola (1692) is based on the state gondola of Doge Fransicso Morosini, and is one of the smallest of the models (only 8 inches long weighing about half an ounce), but highly decorated with over 60 carvings.
The American Brig of the Revolution (I 775) is based on the Davis model of the Lexington (see a very interesting article on this in the latest NRG Journal). The British East Indiaman (circa 1805) and the Britannia (1840) are the last two models of this collection. The carvings and detail on all these model is exceptional - these models alone are well worth the trip to the museum to see and enjoy.
There are also many more models or modem warships and merchant ships on display, many of the excellently done. As a final incentive at this time, there are the many fine models of the 2000 Scale Ship Model Competition. There are approximately 90 models that were entered in this competition, all worth seeing. Unfortunately, they will only be there through the end of this month (October, 2000), when many if not all of them will go home. I hope that many of the SMA members may be able to attend the NRG conference on October 27h, 28th, and 29th of this year. If so, they will also be able to enjoy the fine display of exceptional models at the Mariners Museum.