Staghound...Extreme clipper 1850 by rwiederrich 1/96

[Peter Gutterman]

Thanks, Rich. I subscribe to the NRJ and Rob suggested I refer to his Glory of the Seas build log., so I should be able to get what I need from those resources.
Thanks for the generous offer.

Pete

 

[ClipperFan]

Thanks, Rich. I subscribe to the NRJ and Rob suggested I refer to his Glory of the Seas build log., so I should be able to get what I need from those resources.
Thanks for the generous offer.

Pete

Pete,
You're welcome. Rob has been constructing models for about 50 years from what I know. He has honed it to an exact science.

 

[rwiederrich]

I spent a little time working on the tops. I finished the base structure…..and will now add the details later.

Rob

 

[rwiederrich]

Currently, the tops are all rudimentary. They will be detailed further and cleaned up more. Once each mast(fore and main), are banded, I'll then affix the tops to the masts then paint. I will then proceed to the topmast, which will be varnished. Then to the royal and so forth.
Since I treat each mast with their appropriate yards as single projects. I will not be doing much detailing at this point.
When I begin to focus on the mizzen mast, I will, at that time, add all the shrouds/ratlines and blocks necessary for full rig. Then I';; move to add the yards and furled sails. I try to do things systematically...since there is so much...ya gotta break things down into chewable portions. As a friend once said, *You'll either go mad or give up*.

Rob

 

[Peter Gutterman]

Currently, the tops are all rudimentary. They will be detailed further and cleaned up more. Once each mast(fore and main), are banded, I'll then affix the tops to the masts then paint. I will then proceed to the topmast, which will be varnished. Then to the royal and so forth.
Since I treat each mast with their appropriate yards as single projects. I will not be doing much detailing at this point.
When I begin to focus on the mizzen mast, I will, at that time, add all the shrouds/ratlines and blocks necessary for full rig. Then I';; move to add the yards and furled sails. I try to do things systematically...since there is so much...ya gotta break things down into chewable portions. As a friend once said, *You'll either go mad or give up*.

Rob

I hear ya!

 

[ClipperFan]

Last May, Customs House Maritime Museum, Newburyport, Mass shared a new aquisition: "Clipper Staghound with partially furled sails." ca 1855. Artist: James E Buttersworth. Counting the large, more detailed piece at South Street Seaport Museum, NYC and another similar version in Princeton, NJ this makes the third such discovery of this work. The two smaller works without the large sidewheeler on right appear to me to be studies in preparation of the finalized version in NYC. Since that work is dated 1851, the 4 year later date of the Newburyport art is a bit confusing. Unless the artist was commissioned later to remake this work. Both this new piece and the NJ work look less developed in treatment of sea, sky and background vessels. There's an interesting brief history of Staghound's performance in their Facebook post which I've included. Officially, this vessel's name is Stag Hound but Buttersworth always called her Staghound.

 

[rwiederrich]

Sory, I've been so busy...with helping my daughter move and preparing the yard and decks for fall/winter.
I pray, I can resume work very soon on the masts. I'm off the next week for my 41st anniversary, so I may or may not be doing much. We'll see.

Thanks, Rich, for posting this information on Staghound.

Rob

 

[ClipperFan]

Rob, you're welcome. I wish you both a wonderful 41st Anniversary celebration. In the same Facebook page, there were six sections of the Newburyport Herald covering events that occurred on clipper Staghound from July 8th, 1851 through November 21st, 1861. Then there's a single entry from May 15, 1925, discussing artifacts of Donald McKay including the Cornelius W. McKay Staghound model and letter generously donated to the Old State House Marine Museum by the late Captain Arthur Clark of Newburyport, Mass. They were put on display to raise awareness of an effort to raise a memorial to the memory of Donald McKay. Wednesday, September 17th, 2024, almost exactly a century later (actually 99 years, 4 months and 2 days) I received pictures of that marvelous model and associated 4-page letter. Monday, August 25th, 2025, courtesy of the MIT Maritime Museum, I finally received the long sought after Cornelius W. McKay Staghound plans (referred to as a drawing) in his November 18th, 1896, letter to Captain Arthur H. Clark. Dating from that initial letter, it's been 127 years, 10 months and 1 day since that profound full letter has been uncovered and 128 years, 10 months and 7 days since the even more detailed Staghound plans have seen the light of day! And if you count from when the model and plans originated, most likely October 1850, that would be a staggering 173 years, 11 months until I received pictures of the Cornelius W. McKay model and 174 years, 10 months since rediscovering those elusive plans...as Spock would say "Fascinating."

As Spock would say "Fascinating."

 

[ClipperFan]

Rob,

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass has this detailed scale model of the 1881 Down Easter Luzon, Smith & Townsend, East Boston, 1,391-tons. She has practically an identical aft portico entryway to her aft coach house which looks remarkably similar to the one we arrived at for your Stag Hound model.

 

[ClipperFan]

I literally stumbled onto another artist's depiction of our topic Stag Hound featured on Eldred's Auctions: Charles F Kenny (1919-2014) "Clipper Ship Stag Hound." It began when I came across this same artist's depiction of the lovely 1853 clipper "Belle of the West" David & Asa Shiverick Shipyards, Dennis, Mass. On the back of the frame was a card with brief artist's bio on right and a small postcard of another piece "Glory of the Seas" rounding the Horn. While searching for that work, I came across his Stag Hound piece. I'm still trying to find the Glory work....