Collections of Ship Models: Help!

[Sam Willis]

Hello everyone. My name's Sam Willis - I'm a well-known UK-based historian and I'm currently working on a new and very exciting project to film the world's best ship models with the latest camera tech. The project began with two models at the National Maritime Museum in London. 

 

HMS Royal George - a model made for King George III can be be viewed here and a quick behind the scenes video here of filming the Great Eastern diorama. All of this has been filmed for the UK's Society for Nautical Research and published in the Mariner's Mirror podcast.

 

I'm now ready to take this project further, and to global collections, and I need some help with where to look for remarkable ship models worth filming. 

 

I would be enormously grateful for all ideas and suggestions. I'm keen on any sort of model as long as it looks remarkable; ideally if it has a good story behind it or an interesting vessel. I am not restricted by period and I'm interested in working with both private collections and public.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Sam

[allanyed]

Hi Sam and welcome to MSW.

 

I assume you are in communications with the ship model curator at Preble Hall who I believe is currently Don Pruel.  Their Rogers collection is stunning and on display to the public.  If you are not already speaking with them, they may have what you are looking for.

 

Allan

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by allanyed

[Keith Black]

 Sam, welcome to MSW. Wishing you the very best with your project.

[ccoyle]

Allan beat me to the suggestion about the Rogers Collection.

 

Most maritime nations have at least one national maritime museum with many great models. You've already discovered the NMM. Another that I know off the top of my head from your side of the pond is the Hamburg Maritime Museum. I'm sure our members can suggest many others. If you surf through our scratch builds gallery, you will also find many outstanding models built by MSW members, many of whom are based in Europe. Also, search the site for models built by our member DORIS (that's her username) -- she does scratch builds in paper and card stock that simply have to be seen to be believed. She lives in the Czech Republic and has been featured on TV there.

[ubjs]

https://www.vasamuseet.se/en/exhibitions/vasa-model

 

[druxey]

Welcome to this forum, Sam. (Your name is not unknown to some of us here!) There are other notable models in other collections as well, including the private Kriegstein collection in the U. S. and the public Art Gallery of Ontario Thomson ship model collection.

[hollowneck]

Sam,

You've arrived at the internet's best forum for all things ship modeling! As druxey commented here, your work is quite familiar to many members of this forum. In addition to this open thread, our forum has a private messaging feature you might want to periodically check-out.

Welcome!

[rwiederrich]

3 hours ago, Sam Willis said:

Hello everyone. My name's Sam Willis - I'm a well-known UK-based historian and I'm currently working on a new and very exciting project to film the world's best ship models with the latest camera tech. The project began with two models at the National Maritime Museum in London. 

 

HMS Royal George - a model made for King George III can be be viewed here and a quick behind the scenes video here of filming the Great Eastern diorama. All of this has been filmed for the UK's Society for Nautical Research and published in the Mariner's Mirror podcast.

 

I'm now ready to take this project further, and to global collections, and I need some help with where to look for remarkable ship models worth filming. 

 

I would be enormously grateful for all ideas and suggestions. I'm keen on any sort of model as long as it looks remarkable; ideally if it has a good story behind it or an interesting vessel. I am not restricted by period and I'm interested in working with both private collections and public.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Sam

Thanks for the intro and reviews Sam.....I hope you find the material you are looking for...your project sounds amazing.

 

Rob

[allanyed]

Also, a bit closer for you is the Musee National de la Marine in Paris.   I understand it is temporarily closed to the public, but hopefully you can gain access as an independent researcher.   I have not had the opportunity to visit yet so not sure what you will find as it has been closed for various reasons whenever we have been there or we ran out of time.  We will likely be there next spring so I hope to see a report from you

before then.   😀

 

Allan

Edited April 11, 2022 by allanyed

[Jaager]

The Science Museum had a model of HMS Prince that may meet your spec -

Edited April 11, 2022 by Jaager

[Morgan]

There is the Naval Museum of Madrid, rich in history and models.  Possibly the Santisima Trinidad as a subject.

 

There is also a very large scale model of the Santisima Trinidad, built in 2008, in Havana’s maritime museum at the Castillo de la Real, of course she was built there, as were many of the finest Spanish Ships-of-the-Line, the setting has historic maritime ties for the UK as well.

 

Gary

 

 

[Mark P]

Good Evening Sam;

 

I wish you the best of success with your extended project, and hope to see the results when they are ready.

 

The book by Simon Stephens & Nick Ball, 'Navy Board Ship Models', has a directory near its end which lists the locations of most known models which are constructed in what is known as the 'Navy Board' style, ie with open framing visible, and not fully planked hulls. These models tend to be 17th & early 18th century in date, and the directory lists approximately 30 different collections, large to small; a few are now in an unknown location, following sale at auction, but most are still accessible. The collections listed frequently also comprise other models of later date in the 'Georgian' style, where the hulls are planked. Some of the collections have been mentioned above, but some are quite obscure; with a range of others in between. 

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

[Cathead]

If you'd like to expand beyond Euro-American horizons, I'd personally suggest the Museo Marítimo Nacional in Valparaíso, Chile, which has a broad collection of maritime models relevant to historic and modern Chilean history.

 

Overall, if you're looking for private models, a good place to start would be to browse the galleries and scratchbuild threads here at MSW as there's some obscure and fascinating stuff in there.

[trippwj]

Goodness, Sam - so many options!  In addition to those mentioned above, there are also smaller and less well known venues that have some wonderful examples. In the New England area if the USA we have Mystic Seaport in Connecticut that had some nice models - contemporary, for the most part. The Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts has a good mix of whaling related models I have been told (need to get down there some day).  At the gateway to Downeast you will find the Penobscot Bay Maritime Museum in Searsport, Maine. They have some nice models though many need conservation. Will find Bluejacket Model Ships just a few hundred meters up the road, where some beautiful modern models are (or at least used to be) on display.  If'n you make it way Downeast I'll treat to a lobstah feed after you visit the Tide's Institute to view the small collection there (focus on Eastport shipbuilders and the sardine fishery).

 

Wow - you could have a really fun trip through the Northeast!

[amateur]

Are you going for stunning models with lots of details, or for interesting models?

 

There are also some relatively old, not so stunning, but nonetheless interesting models around.

For instance the so-called Mataro-model in the Rotterdam Maritime Museum, a model dating back to the time of Columbus, but not a large, or very well build model. 

 

Jan

[druxey]

A couple of fine models are also in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, now I come to think of it.

[dvm27]

With regards to what Druxey has said check out this link to the Royal George in their collection. If there's a finer example of the model makers art I have yet to see it. It's also at an unusual scale of 3/16. Check out the figurehead in the second photo on the site. They can also be downloaded in hi resolution.

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/38550/100gun-ship-of-the-line

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by dvm27

[druxey]

And don't forget the Valkenisse in the MFA collection!

[Veszett Roka]

Welcome Sam. You might consider to go ta Amsterdam, relatively close to you and easy transportation. Scheepvaartmuseum is a must to see there, featuring many excellent models there.

Also, i've been in Lannan Model Ship Gallery in Boston where i saw (actually touch too) any of biggest model in my life. The owner Larry Lannan is a very friendly gentleman. 

[amateur]

With respect to Amsterdam: since the 'refit' a couple of years ago, the amount of models in their main exposition is relatively small.

The other models are not on display on a regular basis, but are only out of the storage rooms if they can be used as an 'illustration' in the temporary displays. (The same also holds for the Rotterdam Maritime museum). In case you want to see, or even photograph, a specific model: you should contact them before hopping on a train.

 

Actually, when in Amsterdam, If I were you, I would not skip the maritime department of the Rijksmuseum: both Prins Willem and William Rex are worth the additional mile.

 

Jan  

[michaelpsutton2]

I will have a chance to the visit the maritime museum in Newport News at the end of May

[Roger Pellett]

I last visited the Mariners Museum in 2005.  At that time they had a nice collection of models on display.

[michaelpsutton2]

If Sam visits with Don at Annapolis...

The last time I was there he had Donald McNarry's 16'/in model of the USS Constitution as originally built, in his office downstairs. It is

the full hull, static version, and  not on display. It is on of the most spectacular miniatures I have ever seen.

[BobG]

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is wonderful also.

 

https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca

[Roger Pellett]

A number of years ago there was a shop note type article in the Nautical Research Journal about modeling the engine for Admiral Nimitz’s officer’s motor boat.  The article’s author was producing engine parts that  included detail down to cast trademark logos. All of this was pre-3d printing and CDC machining. Unfortunately, there were no pictures of the actual model.  

 

At the 2015 NRG Conference at Annapolis Don Pruel told me that the finished model had been donated to the Naval Academy’s collection but was not on display.  If the engine is any indication of the quality of the finished model, this would be a must see.

 

Roger

[Veszett Roka]

Sam, just come to mind, and found again: Kaap Skil museum, and their huge diorama with ~50 model ship and their crew.
Here is a pic of the diorama:

 

[amateur]

For those not knowing: Kaap Skil is located on the Isle of Texel, Netherlands

 

It is a large diorama of the Dutch fleet supplying.

The diorama is build by the well known firm Artitec.

Worth visiting. 

 

Jan

 

[allanyed]

I am glad Sam started this thread as it is benefitting a lot of us even if he has not followed up on any of these great responses himself.

Allan

[jerome]

There is also a huge collection of ship models at SUNY Maritime college.

and a very large collection at American Merchant Marine Museum @ Kings Point.

Both located within a few miles of each other.

[hoocat]

The Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Va has recently redone the display of the August and Winnifred Crabtree model collection.  It is spectacular.