Ship models
Having been brought up in Liverpool, in a seafaring family, and before I actually went to sea myself, I sometimes found myself fortunate enough to visit some of the larger shipping company offices in that city. My greatest pleasure of those visits was to look at the many ship models that were on display. These were the builders models, initially shown to the shipowner, and later presented to him.
There are excellent collections of these models at both Liverpool Maritime Museum and at Greenwich. But, whatever happened to all the RSL models. They command a considerable price these days, and I recently sourced out this picture of the model for the Queen and King City, built by William Doxford, Sunderland in 1950. This one was being sold in Switzerland. Posted on forum by Mike Jones 13 May 2009.
This page is extracts from postings on the Forum, and the full text can be seen on the Forum under Builders models.
The model of the Welsh City (1968) is displayed on the first floor of the County Club in Cardiff. It has been there for a few years - possibly given or loaned by Richard or John Reardon Smith.This photo of the model was taken October 2009.
Tony Crowther has been sorting out his RSL files, and has kindly forwarded two Cardiff newspaper clippings concerning the disposal of the Reardon Smith ship models at the time of the company’s liquidation in 1985. These two articles can be seen here.
Information that we have on the models.
Australian City went to the Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum and is now believed to be in the Swansea Maritime Museum.
City of Cardiff (1905) was a half model and this also went to
the Welsh Industrial and Maritime museum and is now believed to be in the Swansea Maritime Museum.
King City (1950) was purchased by a lady in Switzerland when RSL went into liquidation on 1985.
Devon City is believed to be still owned by the Vancouver BC Maritime Museum.
Models of the 840 (Cardiff Class) are believed to be in the Glasgow Museum of Transport.
The rig Atlantic One from Devonshire House migrated to Edinburgh via London and was still in what was left of Ben Line when I retired but I can ask as to where it is now as the company is even smaller and moved again.
TMM models.
 |
| BIBI:- Griff Jones took this vessel from the dockyard on her maiden voyage. I relieved him in Acapulco 29/6/79. Bibi was the first of her class and by the time we got back to Japan TMM publicity had got into gear and were dishing out detailed models of these ships. Their Agents were distributing them and I was presented with a model of Bibi in Yokohama and a model of Sarita in Nagoya. (This "convoy" now takes pride of place on our mantlepiece). John Cann |
| Continued on next page |
If anybody has any information about other models then please do post the information on the Forum.