Gary views the first exibit. Note that the case containing the ship is iteslf a museum piece, the glass in it dates from before the era of float glass. The model itself is over 300 years old.
A close up of the exquisite detail work on the stern of the model
A close up of the gun ports and mast support rigging.
The caption for the "pull apart" model.
The "pull apart model". The models were much more than toys. They functioned as blueprints from which the ship was built.
Gary and Rob contemplate the complex rigging of a square rigged ship.
A close up of the railings of the ship above. This photo covers an area of around 2 x 3 inches.
The bow of one of the models
A close up of the bow
This was one of the larger models. Gary and Rob provide a bit of scale.
The model itself.
The caption for the model.
A tiny model.
A caption for the tiny model.
The rigging of the tiny model.
Many of the models in the collection were made by French prisoners of war of the English at the turn of the 18th century. They were made of bones from their food, scraps of wood, and thread using improvised tools. The detail is astonishing.
A caption for one of the prisoner of war built models
The figurehead alluded to by the previous caption
Yet another superb model, again in an antique case
A "first rate" 100 gun ship.
A detail of the first rate ship
More extraordinary, hand done detail on the stern of the first rate.
After touring the museum, Gary and Rob head out to a late lunch.
Gary took a photo of Rob and me seconds later.
