- Joined
- Jan 26, 2025
- Messages
- 7
- Points
- 23
I recently had the privilege of interviewing Simon Stephens, longtime Curator of Ship Models and Boats at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, for the SeaWatch Podcast—and it’s an episode I think many of you will enjoy.
Simon has spent 47 years working with what is arguably the world’s most significant ship model collection, which includes over 4,500 models ranging from ancient Egyptian barges to modern research vessels. In our conversation, we discuss:
The Navy Board and Georgian models in the collection
The use of endoscopes and CT scans to explore internal model details
Hidden surprises like paintings, tools, and builder’s notes discovered inside models
The story of Shackleton’s James Caird lifeboat and Simon’s role in its conservation
How the museum commissions new models for exhibitions—and the balance between display and preservation
Simon also shares some amazing behind-the-scenes stories—like finding a printed 18th-century shipwright figure lying in the hull of a Georgian model, and getting stuck (briefly!) while using a medical-grade endoscope inside a fragile Navy Board piece.
Simon has spent 47 years working with what is arguably the world’s most significant ship model collection, which includes over 4,500 models ranging from ancient Egyptian barges to modern research vessels. In our conversation, we discuss:
The Navy Board and Georgian models in the collection
The use of endoscopes and CT scans to explore internal model details
Hidden surprises like paintings, tools, and builder’s notes discovered inside models
The story of Shackleton’s James Caird lifeboat and Simon’s role in its conservation
How the museum commissions new models for exhibitions—and the balance between display and preservation
Simon also shares some amazing behind-the-scenes stories—like finding a printed 18th-century shipwright figure lying in the hull of a Georgian model, and getting stuck (briefly!) while using a medical-grade endoscope inside a fragile Navy Board piece.
