About to start and yet another build log on Victory. But first...colours..? I have been attempting to research the colour scheme as it was at Trafalgar 1805. The first thing to accept and move on from is that the paint job on Victory varied enormously over its life, so the concepts of right and wrong are pretty elastic to say the least.
My understanding is that the last/current restoration of the ship from 2017 onwards has established that in 1805 the Yellow Ochre colour on show since 1925 or so is in fact quite wrong. The paint samples taken from the planks and analyzed by the laboratory at University of Lincoln show that it was painted the colour as now restored on the ship in Portsmouth, described variously as "pale yellow" to "pink". I have not seen it in the flesh so my judgements are very uncertain but it looks pink to me..and I feel a certain sympathy with the hostile opponents of the new "researched" colour scheme, some of whom are acknowledged Victory experts. Some of the discussion is way over the top heated....but pink..?
What is known is that
1. Nelson wanted the "yellow" bands to be "6 parts yellow to one part white" but the Admitralty refused this. But who knows what the yellow was or even the white anyway..? The carpenters log of stores from the job says it was 1 part yellow to 1 part white...but again unless you know what the "yellow" and "white" were it doesnt really help you at all.
2. The masts were cream.
3. The "black" bands were not black but charcoal grey.
4. The gunport lids were NOT red on top, but the colour of the enclosing hull band ...(whatever version of yellow you decide on). They were therefore not apparent when closed and the famous chequerboard effect was they were open showing the contrast of the red undersides of the lids with the yellow surrounds....when closed down they disappeared into the hull.
So... having waded through far too much info on this I am building my Victory with cream masts, very pale yellow bands, charcoal grey bands, red undersides to gunport lids, very pale yellow tops to the lids same as the surrounding hull section.
Would be very pleased to be directed to any research which might change my choices. Congratulations to all the current Victory builders on the great work they are doing. I cant wait to get Montanes off the bench ( a few weeks at least) and then get started.
My understanding is that the last/current restoration of the ship from 2017 onwards has established that in 1805 the Yellow Ochre colour on show since 1925 or so is in fact quite wrong. The paint samples taken from the planks and analyzed by the laboratory at University of Lincoln show that it was painted the colour as now restored on the ship in Portsmouth, described variously as "pale yellow" to "pink". I have not seen it in the flesh so my judgements are very uncertain but it looks pink to me..and I feel a certain sympathy with the hostile opponents of the new "researched" colour scheme, some of whom are acknowledged Victory experts. Some of the discussion is way over the top heated....but pink..?
What is known is that
1. Nelson wanted the "yellow" bands to be "6 parts yellow to one part white" but the Admitralty refused this. But who knows what the yellow was or even the white anyway..? The carpenters log of stores from the job says it was 1 part yellow to 1 part white...but again unless you know what the "yellow" and "white" were it doesnt really help you at all.
2. The masts were cream.
3. The "black" bands were not black but charcoal grey.
4. The gunport lids were NOT red on top, but the colour of the enclosing hull band ...(whatever version of yellow you decide on). They were therefore not apparent when closed and the famous chequerboard effect was they were open showing the contrast of the red undersides of the lids with the yellow surrounds....when closed down they disappeared into the hull.
So... having waded through far too much info on this I am building my Victory with cream masts, very pale yellow bands, charcoal grey bands, red undersides to gunport lids, very pale yellow tops to the lids same as the surrounding hull section.
Would be very pleased to be directed to any research which might change my choices. Congratulations to all the current Victory builders on the great work they are doing. I cant wait to get Montanes off the bench ( a few weeks at least) and then get started.
