Museum Researcher looking for assistance

[FRMResearcher]

Good morning! 

My name is Holly and I am a Research Officer at a small regional museum, mostly focused on military history. Yesterday afternoon a woman came in with a homemade ship model, unlike any I've seen before (or have seen scrolling through some of the posts on here!) and I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I don't even know if ya'll would consider this a "model" or if there is another term I'm not familiar with!  I've attached a photo...it's relief style,  mean to be hung. The oar is not attached, and comes off cleanly.  The woman did not want to give me much information about it, just that it was found in a house she had bought, that she thought it was 50 years old, and that she thought it was made by a previous owner,  a doctor that had built a sailboat. 

Would appreciate any information/redirection! 

 

Cheers, 

 

Holly 

[Ryland Craze]

Hi Holly and welcome to Model Ship World.  The photo is of a half hull ship model.  Per Wikipedia: "A half hull model ship (also known as a "half hull" or "half ship") is a wooden model ship featuring only one half of a boat's hull without rigging or other fixtures.  Prior to the twentieth century, half hull model ships were constructed by shipwrights as a means of planning a ship's design and sheer and ensuring that the ship would be symmetrical. The half hulls were mounted on a board and were exact scale replicas of the actual ship's hull. With the advent of computer design, half hulls are now built as decorative nautical art and constructed after a ship is completed."

 

I hope this help out.

[bruce d]

22 minutes ago, FRMResearcher said:

I don't even know if ya'll would consider this a "model" or if there is another term I'm not familiar with!  

Hello Holly, welcome to MSW.

Two things:

One: This is what is known as a 'half hull' model. They were used for centuries by shipwrights to give a 3D representation of a ship's shape, and could be of an existing ship or a proposal. This may have been as a reference to allow the lines (the shape of the hull) to be studied or copied, or it could even have been used as a sales aid when making a pitch to a prospective investor. This is a much more modern item and, again, may represent a specific craft being built or (more likely) was a model of a known craft with personal ties.

Two: If you are near a body of water then you may find that it represents one of the local types.  Whatever your region, if there was a significant waterway there will be some local characteristic craft. You have not indicated where you are but you did say 'ya'll' so ... southern USA? 😊

 

HTH

Bruce (retired researcher 😉)

 

EDIT: Ryland beat me to it by one minute.

Edited November 17, 2020 by bruce d

[druxey]

From the appearance of the model in the photograph, its age looks to be less than 50 years and the estimate of about 25 to 40 seems about right.

[Ryland Craze]

3 hours ago, bruce d said:

EDIT: Ryland beat me to it by one minute.

I like you explanation better.

[FRMResearcher]

On 11/17/2020 at 10:27 AM, bruce d said:

Hello Holly, welcome to MSW.

Two things:

One: This is what is known as a 'half hull' model. They were used for centuries by shipwrights to give a 3D representation of a ship's shape, and could be of an existing ship or a proposal. This may have been as a reference to allow the lines (the shape of the hull) to be studied or copied, or it could even have been used as a sales aid when making a pitch to a prospective investor. This is a much more modern item and, again, may represent a specific craft being built or (more likely) was a model of a known craft with personal ties.

Two: If you are near a body of water then you may find that it represents one of the local types.  Whatever your region, if there was a significant waterway there will be some local characteristic craft. You have not indicated where you are but you did say 'ya'll' so ... southern USA? 😊

 

HTH

Bruce (retired researcher 😉)

 

EDIT: Ryland beat me to it by one minute.

I'm in Atlantic Canada, we have a lot of similarities with the Southern US - many of the founders of my city were from Virginia. Thank you for your reply! 

[FRMResearcher]

On 11/17/2020 at 10:26 AM, Ryland Craze said:

Hi Holly and welcome to Model Ship World.  The photo is of a half hull ship model.  Per Wikipedia: "A half hull model ship (also known as a "half hull" or "half ship") is a wooden model ship featuring only one half of a boat's hull without rigging or other fixtures.  Prior to the twentieth century, half hull model ships were constructed by shipwrights as a means of planning a ship's design and sheer and ensuring that the ship would be symmetrical. The half hulls were mounted on a board and were exact scale replicas of the actual ship's hull. With the advent of computer design, half hulls are now built as decorative nautical art and constructed after a ship is completed."

 

I hope this help out.

 Thank you!