Small Ships, Big Stories: The evolution of model ships

By Katie Rowe, Ventura Yacht Club Historian

You’ve seen them in museums, marveled at their intricacy, wondered at the hours they must have taken to create. This article explores the history of model ships and celebrates the extraordinary artistry behind these finely detailed works.

The origins of ship modeling date back to the earliest civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Archaeological discoveries show that these ancient societies created rudimentary ship models using materials like mud and wood. These early models were often used in religious ceremonies or placed in tombs as symbolic representations of a journey to the afterlife.

During the Age of Exploration, the Italians and Dutch in particular developed sophisticated techniques for constructing beautifully detailed ship models. For centuries, proposals for new vessels submitted to the admiralty had to include a precise scale model for review and approval. Intricately rigged models, such as the Dutch 32-gun frigate Euridice, built in 1802 and now on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, helped teach young sailors the parts and structure of a ship.

The Channel Islands Maritime Museum holds more than sixty models, about half of which are on display at any given time. The displays rotate periodically to highlight different aspects of maritime culture and history.

Nine of the models currently on display were built by American master model shipbuilder Edward Marple (1919–1993). His workstation has been recreated in the museum, offering visitors a glimpse into the precision and patience behind his work. After a 28-year career as a dental technician, Marple transformed his extraordinary skill with small dentistry tools into a robust post-career hobby as a model shipbuilder. The results are remarkable: his models show an extraordinary level of intricate detail. One especially striking example is his model of the HMS Royal George, a 108-gun first-rate British warship. Its transom is beautifully rendered, with windows, stanchions, and carvings that are astonishingly elaborate given their tiny scale.

During the Napoleonic Wars (1803 to 1815), thousands of Frenchmen were taken prisoner by the British and kept aboard captured ships. Using leftover bones from their daily rations, the prisoners carved and assembled models of the vessels they had served on during the war. They fashioned details from scraps of wood, and the rigging was often made from human hair, horsehair, silk, or other available materials. Prisoners sold these models to local British buyers, earning money they could use to support themselves after their release. The Channel Islands Maritime Museum has eleven French prisoner-of-war models, the second-largest collection of bone ship models in the United States.

If the art of model shipbuilding piques your interest, you are in luck. The Channel Islands Maritime Museum has reestablished its Ship Model Guild. Whether you’re an experienced builder or simply curious about the art of ship modeling, this welcoming group offers a chance to connect with fellow modelers, share projects, exchange tips and learn new techniques together of the second Tuesday of each month. Click here to learn more.

Want to come visit the models in person? The museum is open Thursday - Monday 12-4pm. Come Explore!