THE VVatercraft Collection in the United States 

 National Museum, Smithsonian Institution, was 

 estabUshed in 1884 as the "Section of American Naval 

 Architecture" by Captain Joseph William Collins, 

 who served as unofFicial curator for the first years of its 

 existence. Captain Collins was 

 a former Gloucester fishing- 

 schooner master employed by 

 the U.S. Fish Commission, and 

 he had been responsible in some 

 measure for setting up the Amer- 

 ican fishery exhibits at two inter- 

 national fisheries expositions, at 

 Berlin in 1880 and London in 

 1883, and a world's exposition 

 at New Orleans in 1884-85. 

 Later he formed the fisheries 

 exhibits at the World's Colum- 

 bian Exposition at Chicago in 



1892, and the American exhibit at the International 

 Fisheries Exposition at Bergen in 1898. 



The "Section of American Naval Architecture" 

 serv^ed as the repository for the models being used in 

 the American exhibits at these international exposi- 

 tions, and many of the early models became damaged 

 or lost during the years they were being shipped to 

 and from expositions. 



The Collection 



The basic collection consisted of a large number of 

 builder's half-models used in the construction of ves- 

 sels, and was almost entirely of New England fishing 

 schooners. Most of the models were identified and 

 were cataloged by the name or names of the vessels 

 built on the individual model. In addition to the 

 half-models were many rigged models of noted fishing 

 schooners and of small American fishing craft from 

 nearly all fishing areas of the United States. Some 

 models of foreign fishing boats were in the collection; 

 many of these were obtained at the Centennial Ex- 

 position of 1876 and this collection was later enlarged 

 by models obtained from foreign exhibits at the New 

 Orleans, Chicago, and Bergen expositions. 



The fishery models had been collected with three 

 distinct objectives. To show the historical develop- 

 ment of the New England fishing schooner, to show 

 all important types of American fishing craft, and to 

 show superior or improved designs of fishing vessels, 



particularly of fishing schooners, some of which were 

 donated by notable designers. Historical develop- 

 ment of the fishing schooner was illustrated by both 

 half-models and rigged models; thus the collection 

 included representations of old vessels as well as those 

 of the then modern types. The 

 rigged models of small craft were 

 typical examples of their individ- 

 ual types, hence there were rare- 

 ly two models of the same type. 

 A few half-models of small craft 

 were collected, apparently as 

 examples. Improved vessel de- 

 signs were represented by build- 

 er's half-models and by a few 

 rigged models; one of the latter 

 and one of the half-models had 

 received awards at an exposi- 

 tion. 

 The rigged models of fishing schooners, distinguished 

 by surprising accuracy, were the result of the pride 

 New England fishermen were taking in their schooners 

 at the time the collection was being formed. It had 

 become the fashion, particularly in Gloucester and 

 Boston, for schooner owners and vessel-managing firms 

 to order a scale model of each new vessel built, 

 particularly if she were considered fast and handsome. 

 This interest in scale models was perhaps created by 

 the numerous international fisheries expositions and 

 world's expositions that followed the Centennial Ex- 

 position of 1876. Exhibited at one of these exposi- 

 tions, a good model might attract favorable comment 

 or be awarded a medal of excellence and thus bring 

 desirable publicity to the builder and to the owner 

 or managing firm. Models were exhibited in the 

 offices of owners or managers, just as scale models to- 

 day are exhibited in steamship and airline agencies. 



The rigged models of fishing schooners were usually 

 built by a very few skilled ship carpenters, each a 

 master builder, at Gloucester and Rockport, Massa- 

 chusetts, of whom Thomas Ir\ing and Lawrence 

 Jensen were perhaps the most important. The models 

 were carefully made; the hull form was obtained from 

 the half-model, mould-loft takeoff, or lines plans; the 

 rig was based upon the rigger's draught, or the sail- 

 maker's plan. The deck arrangement was usually 

 obtained by measurement of the finished vessel. 

 Accuracy was necessary, as the completed model had 

 to pass the critical inspection of the owner and skipper 



