Book review The Art of Shipmodeling / L'ART DU MODELISME / Die Kunst des Modellbaus" by Bernard FRÖLICH / Frolich

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Today I want to bring close to you and highly recommend one book, which has a very special place and importance in my library.

L'ART DU MODELISME
The Art of Shipmodeling
Die Kunst des Modellbaus


by Bernard FRÖLICH

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  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: www.ancre.fr (2002)
  • Package Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.5 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
Price in moment 78, - Euros

Available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish language

Strong volume size 24x31, canvas cover full gray-blue, sewn sections, slice thread. Laminated dust jacket.
The book has 304 pages
Very many illustrations including over 600 photographs in full color.

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Synopsis:

Bernard Frölich has always been a builder of ship's models. As a geographical engineer, he discovered Jean Boudriot's books and monographs in the late 70s. He fell in love with the beauty of sailing ships of the classic period and since then has dedicated all his free timeThis practical experience made him a genuine authority in that field. He has published numerous articles on that subject over the past years. At our request, he has gathered, edited and significantly enriched these articles in order to produce his book.
L'ART DU MODELISME describes the author's experience and methods in 300 pages abundantly illustrated with numerous drawings, sketchs and more than 600 commentated photos. In this book, Frölich describes in detail all the crafts that a shipmodeler must master : he must be in turn a shipwright; a carpenter; a cabinetmaker; a marqueter; a blacksmith; a ropemaker and a sailmaker. He shows that any beginner, if he is industrious and persevering, can master this art. This fact becomes all the more evident since we can see the tremendous progress made by the author himself through the use of photographs of his own work. This book itself is a tremendous learning experience. In the first twenty pages Frölich describes his studio, his tools and equipment and his library. He then devotes about one hundred pages to the timbers of a 1730 merchant vessel , the Mercure, and to M.de Tourville 's three-decker vessel of 1680, L'Ambitieux. In the next one hundred twenty pages, the author discusses the equipment, fittings, guns, decoration and sculptures, ship's boats and rigging. The final sixty pages offer a description of Frölich's own models (all at 1:48 scale ) : the schooner Jacinthe; the lugger Coureur; the brig Cyclope; the bomb ketch Salamandre; the 12-pdr frigate Belle Poule; the merchant vessel Mercure and the xebec Requin. The unfinished model of L'Ambitieux - the Chevalier de Tourville's three-decker vessel - is abundantly described in the chapter on framework. to building historical navy models.
This practical experience made him a genuine authority in that field. He has published numerous articles on that subject over the past years. At our request, he has gathered, edited and significantly enriched these articles in order to produce his book.
L'ART DU MODELISME describes the author's experience and methods in 300 pages abundantly illustrated with numerous drawings, sketchs and more than 600 commentated photos. In this book, Frölich describes in detail all the crafts that a shipmodeler must master : he must be in turn a shipwright; a carpenter; a cabinetmaker; a marqueter; a blacksmith; a ropemaker and a sailmaker. He shows that any beginner, if he is industrious and persevering, can master this art. This fact becomes all the more evident since we can see the tremendous progress made by the author himself through the use of photographs of his own work. This book itself is a tremendous learning experience. In the first twenty pages Frölich describes his studio, his tools and equipment and his library. He then devotes about one hundred pages to the timbers of a 1730 merchant vessel , the Mercure, and to M.de Tourville 's three-decker vessel of 1680, L'Ambitieux. In the next one hundred twenty pages, the author discusses the equipment, fittings, guns, decoration and sculptures, ship's boats and rigging. The final sixty pages offer a description of Frölich's own models (all at 1:48 scale ) : the schooner Jacinthe; the lugger Coureur; the brig Cyclope; the bomb ketch Salamandre; the 12-pdr frigate Belle Poule; the merchant vessel Mercure and the xebec Requin. The unfinished model of L'Ambitieux - the Chevalier de Tourville's three-decker vessel - is abundantly described in the chapter on framework.

Although the author denies it, this book is a genuine treatise on historical naval shipmodeling. The photographs included show that the skills of today 's shipmodelers match the talent of the creators of the period model pieces preserved and displayed in our museums.

Sample Pages of today 's shipmodelers match the talent of the creators of the period model pieces preserved and displayed in our museums.

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Strong volume size 24x31, canvas cover full gray-blue, sewn sections, slice thread. Laminated dust jacket. The book has 304 pages paperGardapat 13 Very many illustrations including over 600 photographs in full color.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAPTER I — GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
CAPTER II — FULLY-FRAMED CONSTRUCTION
Principles, and an example of fully-framed construction:
(I) Le MERCURE
(II) L'AMBITIEUX - An 80-gun Three-decker
CAPTER III — FITTINGS
CAPTER IV — ARTILLERY
CAPTER V — DECORATION AND CARVINGS
CAPTER VI — SHIP'S BOATS
CAPTER VII — MASTING AND RIGGING
CAPTER VIII — THE MODELS
Le CYCLOPE - Brig 1804
La SALAMANDRE - Bomb Ketch 1752
Le COUREUR - Lugger 1776
La BELLE POULE - Frigate 1765
Le MERCURE - Merchant Ship 1730
La JACINTHE - Schooner 1823
Le REQUIN - Xebec 1750
and Remarks from JEAN BOUDRIOT

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Review / Comment:

Also if the translation (original in french, my copy is the german version) is not the best one, but there is absolutely nothing negative to say about the content and the presentation.
It is realy a phantastic book. Over 300 pages and with close to 600 coloured detailed photos one of the best model ship builder is explaining in detail his construction / modeling methods / techniques and tools. What a great resource.
Everybody who wants to built seriously historic wooden static ship models from the time period 1600 to 1800 will find here the best help and assistance.
He is not showing his work on only one single ship, but is explaining his way of work in general or with different examples.
Phantastic photos, good sketches and drawings, extensive and detailed explanations of one of the best modelers (in my opinion)

This book is highly highly recommended and is getting 5 stars


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Here is the link to the publisher ancre

https://ancre.fr/en/
 

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I had this book, franz. Text, bought.
Beautiful presentation and very good photos
of wounderful models.
After I had the German version with the tranlation of Otto Fröhlich,
I should it.
My impression, you do not necessarily have this book.


Ich hatte dieses Buch , franz. Text, gekauft.
Schöne Aufmachung und sehr gute Fotos mit wundervollen Modellen.
Nachdem ich die deutsche Version mit der Übersetzung von Otto Fröhlich hatte,
verkaufte ich es.
Mein Eindruck, man muß dieses Buch nicht unbedingt haben.

Karl
 
The original Book Review was done based on the german version.
In the meantime I received the english language version from ancre, so I want now to complete the Book Review and show also this,
so you can easily see how the text is written.....


The complete title of the book is

THE ART OF SHIP MODELING
Sailing Navy 1680 - 1820
Conceptions, techniques and creations of a ship modeler


by Bernard Frölich
enlish translation by Paul E. Fontenoy
edition 2002

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Based on Frölichs method I am making my copper plates also - a great method

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I am a great fan of Bernard Frölich´s work - in my opinion his models have an extreme good and realistic appearance.....

Just want to present you here also his older still working web-page.


Take also a look at his Gallery of finished models, and you will easily understand myself.


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Here you can find the models of the Le Cyclope, La Belle, La Belle Poule, Le Requin, Le Gros Ventre and Le Cerf, as well as the model of the Le Cygne by Jean-Claude Buchaillard.

In addition I want to commend to read his Lecture he made in December 2004 at AAMM

« THE ART OF MODEL-MAKING », by Bernard FRÖLICH

 

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