This model is a replica of the “Bluenose I” schooner which was originally built in Nova Scotia in 1921. The model was made by Ken Shepherd who came from Nova Scotia to find work in Welland during the 1930’s. It is carved from a single block of wood. This model was purchased by H.H. Hilder, a furniture dealer from Welland. The Hilders would sail the model back and forth across the canal near the downtown Welland bridge. It was donated in memory of Edwin Hilder by Flavio Botari.

The original “Bluenose” was captained by Angus Walters and sailed in a series of schooner races, beating the “Elsie” in 1921, the “Henry Ford” in 1922 and the “Gertrude L. Thebuad” in 1923, all American vessels from the famous Glouster shipyards near Boston. Her final race in 1938 was another victory over the “Gertrude” but the “Bluenose” came to an ignoble end after being converted to a freighter and running aground off the coast of Haiti in 1946. The “Bluenose” was modelled after the Baltimore clippers, designed for both safety and speed, allowing their crews to bring in their catches early for the best price. The “Bluenose II,” is a reproduction of the original, and was christened in 1967 in honour of the Centennial celebrations. It is still moored in Halifax harbour today. This model is made of brightly painted wood, has a Canadian dime attached to its first mast, and all of the provincial and territorial flags flying off the second. It was made by the donor Ted Koszucki in 1990.

This passenger ship model is made of metal and is patterned after ships that were constructed by Cunard Line in the first half of the 20th century. Mr. J.R. Sidey had it made 60-70 years ago for display in his store. Cunard Line is a British cruise line that was founded by Canadian born Samuel Cunard in 1840 and is still active today. The model was donated by Amey Sidey.

Made in 1918 by a retired sailor at Sailors Snug Harbour, a home for retired sailors in Staten Island, N.Y., this model was donated by Mr. and Mrs. J. Walter. At the time of its donation it was the 23rd artifact to be donated to the Port Colborne Museum’s collection which now numbers over 16,000.

This is a handcrafted model of a fishing ship. Commercial fishing began in the 1880’s on the Great Lakes. Catches increased with the invention of more modern fishing equipment, but the golden days of commercial fishing were over by the late 1950’s. The model was donated from the estate of Louisa Gosse and was made by her brother-in-law Richard Gosse.

The “Halvemaen” was a ship of the Dutch East India Company. It was commissioned by the Dutch Republic in order to find an eastern passage to China, and was captained by Henry Hudson. Two replicas of this ship have been built, the first in 1909 by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the second in 1989 in Albany, New York. Donated by Steven Young, this model was handcrafted out of wood c. 1900 and came from the home of the donor’s parents.

This is a large framed glass diorama of a Misener Ship Model. It was built in 1992 by the donor Gordon Conyou who worked for 22 years with Misener. The colourful, hand painted scene depicts a waterway in a mountainous rural area and a blue and white painted laker passing by. The ship was built in two pieces and fitted together. Misener ships have a long history of sailing along the Welland Canal. On October 16, 1954 the “Scott Misener” set a record when it topped the 800,000 bushel mark for the first time with a load of barley from Fort William to Port Colborne.

This is a model of the Corvette “HMCS Orillia – K119” which served from 1940-1945 during World War II. It was built in 1944 by the donor, Capt. J.W. Sharpe, who was also the Commanding Officer of the “HMCS Orillia.” The brass plaque inside of the case reads “HMCS Orillia 1944, Lt. J. Sharpe, R.C.N.R. C.O.”

This model is a representation of the turn of the century Italian ocean liner the “Saturnia”. The hull, masts, lifeboats and cabin are constructed of wood with metal railings. The smoke funnel and vents located on the top deck, bow of ship and stern are made of plastic. The rigging attached to both of the masts is made of fine cord, and the flag is made from a satin material. The model was made c. 1990 by William Cramp, the Great-Great Uncle of the donor Steven Young.

The “Sovereign of the Seas” was a 90-gun First Rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy. It was built by Charles I in 1635 in order to bolster the reputation of the English crown, and was completely destroyed in an accidental fire in 1697. This replica of “Sovereign of the Seas” was built by the donor Harry Nixey from a kit.

This is a model of the ship “St. Helena” that was built by the donor Robert Humpage in 1976. The model was once operated by remote control. The actual “St. Helena” sailed on the Welland Canal. The model is made of wood, while string is used for the ropes. The anchors, chains and rope-winder are metal, and the rope pulleys are plastic.

This model was donated by Miss Erie Carter. It had originally belonged to her father DeWitt Carter who bought it second hand and had it restored approximately 65-70 years ago. It is a model of a warship that was constructed of bone by a French prisoner-of-war during the Napoleonic Wars. Bone models were made in many different prisons during this period. Mutton bones that came from the prisoners’ meals’ were often used in the ships construction; however the bones of deceased prisoners called “Dieppe Ivory” were occasionally used as well. It has been suggested that the models were often the work of syndicates whose members collaborated, each prisoner contributing a particular skill to one feature of the model. They were made not only to while away the tedium of captivity but to make money with which food and comforts could be purchased. Different methods were used in the construction of the models. Sometimes the hull was shaped from a single bone, but more often the models were ribbed and planked like real vessels, with tiny nails inserted to hold the frame together. Human hair was often used for the rigging, as well as horsehair and silk. The scale of these models is not always accurate, as the modellers had to work by eye. The decoration of the ships is often excessive, but the result is a delightful work of art, achieved by craftsmen. In fact, bone models became so popular that they continued to be made after the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Models exist of ships which were not launched until 1820 or 1825.

This is a model of the ship “MS Nedlloyd Rouen” that was made in 1990 by the donor Ted Koszucki. The “Nedlloyd Rouen” was a container ship based out of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The deck of the model is covered with containers which would have been unloaded directly onto tractor-trailers. Real chains were used for the ramp as well as for the anchors, while the guardrails are made of string. The “Nedlloyd Rouen” had three decks, was 212 meters long, 32 meters wide, weighed 25,000 tonnes empty, and had a top speed of 19.5 knots. It was built by Nippon Kokan Co. in Japan for the Netherlands in 1978.

The “John A. Kling” was a self-unloader which could carry most types of dry bulk cargo such as coal, gravel, etc. It was built in 1922 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company of Wisconsin. The “Kling” was owned by Reiss Steamship Company, and was named for Mr. John Adam Kling, who consolidated four Cleveland building supply companies into a new company called Cleveland Builders Supply in 1897. He served the company first as a general manager, and then in 1900 as its elected president until his death in 1936. This model was built in 1990 by its donor Ted Koszucki.

This is a model of the wooden auxiliary schooner the “Gaspe Trader” which was originally built in 1918 by H.A. Ellis of Barachois, Quebec. Auxiliary sailing vessels are ships that are primarily powered by sail but also have engines that can be used when needed.

This ship is modelled after the Great Lakes freighter “The SS Edmund Fitzgerald”, which was built in 1957, and shipwrecked in a storm on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. This shipwrecking is one of the most famous on the Great Lakes and was commemorated in Gordon Lightfoot’s 1976 song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. The model was made in 1990 by the donor, Jack Kipfer, and is almost 4 feet in length.

This is a model of a propeller powered ship that was handcrafted c. 1890 by P.J. Carr. With the start of widespread application of steam powered engines to ships in the early 19th century more ships began to move away from their traditional wind powered sails. Due to the poor design of early propellers, many ships initially used paddle wheels as their primary propulsion system. However, throughout the 19th century, the design of propellers gradually improved until they eventually became the dominant propulsion system that is still used today.