Prisoner of War, Bone Ship Models

[uss frolick]

I am mainly interested in studying the USS Chesapeake model to learn of American Naval deck, rigging, carving an fitting details not documented on the few surviving plans.

[74_boni]

Very detailed photos of the bone ship model USS Chesapeake will be in the book as annouced under Literature (Stein 2015) in www.pow-boneships.de. Since the model is made in the scale 1:48, and it measures144 x 96 cm, there will be much details which you are looking for. 

[dvm27]

This book will be available in the US from IPG Publishers in October. The postal costs will be much diminished by purchasing it in the US.

[Ulises Victoria]

I received an email from Amazon saying the book http://www.amazon.com/dp/3782212053/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=15MDPTYF1B3A&coliid=I14FD0JY5L67BD  will be available soon and to pre-order it, but at 140 US.Dlls, I'm going to have to pass at least until Christmas. 

Edited September 11, 2015 by Ulises Victoria

[uss frolick]

Two years later: Did anybody get this book yet?

[MEDDO]

Never letting a chance go by to expand my library I did get a copy off Amazon a while back.  It is really nicely produced with very detailed photos.  There are many close up photos to see the intricate details.  Subjects in the book are from collections around the world.  Interesting not too much info on the collection in Annapolis Naval Academy.  Overall a really nice addition to the collection.

[uss frolick]

But lots of photos of the USF Chesapeake, right?

[MEDDO]

14 hours ago, uss frolick said:

But lots of photos of the USF Chesapeake, right?

About 25 or so pages on the Chesapeake

[74_boni]

You are right with the CHESAPEAKE in the POW Boneship book. In the next edition there will be a completely revised text, and some additional pictures.

[74_boni]

Hi folks,

 

my book on POW Bone Ship Models is available for some time, and work on the 2nd edition is done. The chapter on the CHESAPEAKE will be completely re-written, since there has been done considerable research in cooperation with the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Norfolk, VA.

In the blog - published by the Hampton Roads Naval Museum - you may see what the essence of the new chapter will be.

Please have a look at the blog: http://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2018/02/chesapeake-to-bone.html

 

[MEDDO]

Thank you for the link the information is excellent

[Portsoy]

There is a beautiful bone model frigate in the National Maritime Museum, Sydney, next to the boat which acheived the speed record on water.

 

It was made by a French prisoner of war in Edinburgh Castle according to the plaque next to it.

 

A real work of art and worth a look if you are in Sydney.

[Seahawk1313]

Hello All,  I got the Book from the Library Interchange.  I also read the Hampton Roads article.  My opinion is that the Bone Model of the USF Chesapeake was made for the British market to Honor the British victory, and not for the Widow of Lawrence.  If the model was built by the American crew there are a number of problems with its build.  The rigging follows British practice and Not American.  The deck plan differs from the Chesapeake.  It is missing hatches and the galley.  As for the stern, I agree with the Hampton Roads Article.  I went with a different design on my model of the Chesapeake,  More William Rush's first ideas on American Ship Stern .  I am half way done with rigging the sails...  I was going to do a build log,  but my computer hard drive died and I Lost everything,  Research and pictures.  Slowly getting stuff back,  only had some old stuff backed up.  I need the photograph the Chesapeake and the Fleet again and back up things better.  Live and learn!?  I hope All are well- Hal 

[dvm27]

French prisoner of war models are still on the market for the well healed amongst us. For example, recently sold for 48,000 pounds:

https://www.charlesmillerltd.com/auction/lot/261-a-large-finely-carved-and-well-presented-early-19th-century-napoleonic-french-prisoner-of-war-bone-ship-model-for-a-first-rate-ship-of-the-line-traditionally-identified-as-hms-caledonia/?lot=12815&au=46&sd=1#

A more modest 4000-6000 pound bid might get you this smaller model:

https://www.charlesmillerltd.com/auction/lot/73-a-napoleonic-french-prisoner-of-war-bone-model-for-the-74-gun-frigate-illustrious-circa-1810/?lot=13707&so=0&st=&sto=0&au=51&ef=&et=&ic=False&sd=0&pp=48&pn=2&g=1#

[druxey]

Note: if you are planning to bid on the current auction, be aware of the 24%(!) buyer's premium and, if you live in the U.K., the VAT as well.

[uss frolick]

There are no surviving deck plans of the Chesapeake to compare the model with. The outboard profile is different with respect to the number and position of the spar deck ports. But this could just be put down to not having a plan in prison to work off of, and not remembering exactly how the ports were positioned, so they just placed them between the gun deck ports as was traditional practice. Not a bad reconstruction given that the crew had been together at sea for only six hours when they were taken. I wonder where the the Mrs. Lawrence provenance story came from, and how the model ended up in Germany.

[druxey]

Pretty well all POW models are constructed from the makers' imaginations. Many ship models were generic, and a name that was in the news at the time applied to the model for marketing purposes. This backs up Seahawk's assertion that 

 

"My opinion is that the Bone Model of the USF Chesapeake was made for the British market to Honor the British victory, and not for the Widow of Lawrence."

 

Most, if not all, POW models were made by the French in captivity. Is there any evidence that American POW's made bone models?

[Seahawk1313]

Just a note,  When the Fox deck plan is scaled  to the Chesapeake plans, they match well ( gun ports, deck width to length). There is a minor difference with the position of the Main Mast and the Mizzen , about 5 or 6 inches.  This is why I think Fox's deck is for the Chesapeake.  If I remember correctly, It didn't work for the Philadelphia when I tried it on her plans- Hal   

[74_boni]

Hi folks,

the question, whether American POWs have fabricated Bone Ships may be answered by two citations from: Abell, Francis 1914. Prisoners of War in Britain, 1756 to 1815. Abell writes on pages

84 PRISONERS OF WAR IN BRITAIN

Among the specimens of American ingenuity I most admired their ships, which they built from three to five feet long. . . . Had not the French proved themselves to be a very brave people, I should have doubted it by what I have observed of them on board the prison-ship.

 

DARTMOOR 251

American prisoners imitated their French companions in manufacturing all sorts of objects of use and ornament for sale.

 

Take care,

74_Boni

[druxey]

Thank you, Boni. Three to five feet long seems unusually large, though. Most surviving bone models are smaller than 3' 0" long and many are miniature in size.