A beautifully illustrated history of the early ship models of the Royal Navy that are prized today as works of art. From about the middle of the seventeenth century, the Royal Navy’s administrators began to commission models of their ships that were accurately detailed and, for the first time, systematically to scale. These developed a recognized style, which included features like the unplanked lower hull with a simplified pattern of framing that emphasized the shape of the underwater body. Exquisitely crafted, these were always rare and highly prized objects—indeed, Samuel Pepys expressed a profound desire to own one, and today they are widely regarded as the acme of the ship modeler’s art. Today, examples are the highlights of collections across the world, valued both as art objects and as potential historical evidence on matters of ship design. However, it was only recently that researchers began to investigate the circumstances of their construction, their function, and the identities of those who made them. This book, by two curators who have worked on the world’s largest collection of these models at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England, summarizes the current state of knowledge, outlines important discoveries, and applies this newfound understanding to many of the finest models in the collection. As befits its subject, Navy Board Ship Models is visually striking, with numerous color photographs that make it as attractive as it is informative to anyone with an interest in modelmaking or historic ships.

The expert model maker takes readers through every stage of building a miniature navy board model in this fully illustrated step-by-step guide. In this clear and detailed volume, Phil Reed tackles the ultimate expression of the ship model maker's art: The Navy Board model. These early eighteenth-century works of art are well represented in major maritime museums and private collections. Here, Reed takes on the construction of a miniature 1/192 scale model of the Royal George of 1715, covering all the conventions of Navy Board framing and planking. With nearly 400 photographs, each accompanied by explanatory text, Building a Miniature Navy Board Model takes readers through every step of the process. Methods of hull and deck framing, internal and external planking, and the construction of the complex stern are all covered. The rendering of the multitude of decorative carvings on the figurehead, stern and broadside is also demonstrated. At the end of the book there is a short section showing his model of The Syren, which demonstrates how the techniques used to frame Royal George could be adapted for ships of a later date, using single and double frames closer to full-size practice

Gives a description of the warships by giving the use and background of model building and by detailing and scrutinizing specific warships

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich houses the largest collection of scale ship models in the world, many of which are official, contemporary artefacts made by the craftsmen of the navy or the shipbuilders themselves, and ranging from the mid seventeenth century to the present day. As such they represent a three-dimensional archive of unique importance and authority. Treated as historical evidence, they offer more detail than even the best plans, and demonstrate exactly what the ships looked like in a way that even the finest marine painter could not achieve. This book is the first of a series which will take selections of the best models to tell the story of specific ship types – in this case, the evolution of the cruising ship under sail. Each volume reproduces a large number of model photos, all in full colour, and including many close-up and detail views. These are captioned in depth, but many are also annotated to focus attention on interesting or unusual features. Although pictorial in emphasis, the book weaves the pictures into an authoritative text, producing an unusual and attractive form of technical history. While the series will be of particular interest to ship modellers, all those with an interest in ship design and development will attracted to the in-depth analysis of these beautifully presented books.

In terms of quality, historical significance and sheer numbers, the Kriegstein family’s ship model collection in the United States is the finest in private hands anywhere in the world. Principally made up of official 17th- and 18th-century models in the Admiralty or Navy Board style, the collection is unrivalled by any museum outside the British national collection at Greenwich. As the models are not on public display, this book fills the need for a detailed catalogue and visual reference with superb colour photos of all the models, both overall portraits and multiple close-ups. Apart from lengthy descriptions of these magnificent artefacts, space is devoted to how they were identified, and the valuable research done by Arnold and Henry Kriegstein, the identical twins whose shared passion brought this all together. Beyond the technicalities of the ships, the story has a human dimension in the brothers’ adventures in pursuit of every model and their dogged determination to secure them against official obstruction and dubious antiques-trade practices. This is an entirely new and revised edition of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Ship Models first published in 2007, now expanded to include the additions to the collection since that date.

Phillip Reed's latest building guide tackles what many regard as the ultimate expression of the ship model maker’s art, the Navy Board model. His step-by-step construction of a miniature 1/192 scale model of the Royal George of 1715 demonstrates all the conventions of Navy Board framing and planking. With the aid of nearly 400 photographs, he takes the reader through every building stage. Methods of hull and deck framing, internal and external planking, and the construction of the complex stern are all covered. Reed also shows how to render the multitude of decorative carvings on the figurehead, stern, and broadside. This is the first book in many years to cover the well-known and sought-after early eighteenth-century Navy Board models. The author takes the reader through every stage of the work with the aid of nearly 400 photographs. Methods of hull and deck framing, internal and external planking, the construction of the complex stern with its array of galleries, doors and windows, are all covered; and the rendering of the multitude of decorative carvings on the figurehead, stern and broadside is also demonstrated. A section showing, amongst others, his model of the siren, explains how the techniques used to frame Royal George can be adapted for ships of a later date, using single and double frames closer to full-size practice. Here is an invaluable manual from which any model maker can benefit from the lifetime’s experience of one of the world’s leading exponents of the art of miniature shipbuilding.

A fascinating account of the building of an historic ship, as well as a vivid and often surprising account of life and labour in the eighteenth century. In an age before industrialisation, the warship was the most complex object built by man and employed the most advanced technology of its time. Naval vessels of the period were, not surprisingly, so expensive to construct that meticulous records were kept, from the purchasing of timbers to the last details of their furnishings and armament, including even the individual names of some of the shipwrights and craftsmen. By carefully studying these records, the authors of Building the Wooden Fighting Ship have reconstructed, in extraordinary detail, the building of HMS Thunderer—a two-decked, 74-gun ship-of-the-line. In words and specially drawn illustrations, contemporary prints and paintings, the authors show every stage of the building of this ship, from the purchase and cutting of timbers right through to the launch in 1760. There are descriptions of Woolwich dockyard where she was built and details of all the skills and trades involved in her construction. First published in 1984, this book is a beautiful and highly informative work on a significant aspect of the Royal Navy and will appeal to enthusiasts, modellers, historians, and anyone with an interest in traditional crafts. Praise for Building the Wooden Fighting Ship “This book will appeal to model builders who focus on the Age of Sail and anyone interested in how these incredible pieces of art and engineering were constructed.” —Nautical Research Journal “Dodds is both a shipwright and an artist, whose black and white drawings provide readers with a clear understanding of each facet along the way. Moore sails yachts and writes books about ships. Their expertise shines through, turning what might be a ho-hum dry treatise on shipbuilding into a fascinating and easy-to-understand narrative. Originally published in 1984, this new edition is beautifully rendered and well worth the price. There are so many details presented that even those familiar with ship construction will discover new tidbits of information, while those with little understanding of the industry will come away with a deeper appreciation of what it took to build one wooden fighting ship out of more than 3,400 oak trees.” —Pirates and Privateers