1. Newsroom
  2. Media library
  3. Model ships

Model ships

15 Aug 2025

Curator John McGoldrick with an intricate model ship carved from bone by a French prisoner during the Napoleonic Wars. Complete with an elaborate figurehead, planked deck and carved helm with a steering gear and compass box, the bone model dates from the early 19th century and is believed to be an example of the type carved by French captives held in British prisons and aboard ships.

Model ships: Curator John McGoldrick with an intricate model ship carved from bone by a French prisoner during the Napoleonic Wars. Complete with an elaborate figurehead, planked deck and carved helm with a steering gear and compass box, the bone model dates from the early 19th century and is believed to be an example of the type carved by French captives held in British prisons and aboard ships.
Download
image00019.jpeg (4032px * 3024px - 3.72 MB)