Might as well add my two cents worth.
Read these two articles:
Quote:
To quote the Ship Modelers FAQ:
'A museum quality ship model is whatever a museum director accepts for a museum collection'
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from this article -
What exactly does ‘Museum Quality' mean? (open in a blank window)
Article by Essay by Eugene L. Larson in the Nautical Research Journal:
Quote:
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Although the intent of the article was "an attempt to better define scratch building as a category, it does not presume that the scratch-built model is the ultimate in model building. Scratch-built models fit into a classification that does not necessarily imply a level of excellence, The greatest claim for scratch building is the modeler's self-satisfaction that he or she did it all".
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Reprint -
Scratch Building Criteria (open in a blank window)
A modeler should do what makes him happy. If you like double planking, for what ever reason, that's fine.
In my recent talks with the Director of the The American Merchant Museum, Mr. Dennis Fanucchi (arranging for when I'll come in to photograph items in the museum), we discussed this topic of ''museum quality''. He said the term is very subjective. What makes an item qualify to be placed into a museum has more to do with it's historic value, it's general representation as to the over all theme of a museum, and most of all, can the museum afford to buy the item! Or if it's donated, afford to have it packed and shipped. To paraphrase the quote above, he said, ''If I like it, it goes on display''.
He recently had to have a ship model sent down to Washington, DC. It cost about $2,500 for a ''Fine Arts'' shipping company to come in, carefully crate the item, and then deliver it to DC. He gets offers for donated items (most museums try to get donations when they can) all the time. However, the cost of having a item shipped can be prohibitive. Most museums operate on a very tight budget.
So what does to have to do with single/double planking? A ship model is a representation of a vessel, real or imagined. There is a particular ship model in the museum's collection I'm thinking of that is a good illustration of this point. Dennis said that the model was donated many years ago and no one knows the who the model shipwright was. It's about 130 years old. He's not even sure of the ships name (it looks like a typical clipper of that era). If you look at the model closely, from a technical approach, it's pretty damn bad model making. But take a step back and it draws you in and you feel like you've gone back in time. It has a quality that one can not explain.
When you walk into the display room where it's located, it draws your attention right away. Is it single or double planked? Is the rigging to most accurate? Who cares. On the other side of this room is a model of a merchant container ship. Technically it's perfect in every detail. But it kind of looks unreal. It's too perfect.
The point is, the unknown modeler did the best he could with what he had and perhaps was quite pleased with his creation, or maybe not. But his model is now sitting in a museum for all to see and marvel.
As the lady once said, standing in an art museum, ''I don't know art, but I know what I like''
If you like to single or double plank your hull, you are the ultimate judge. It's your ship. You are the shipwright. Maybe you don't know art either, but I'm sure you know what you like. Remember, ''It's a hobby, not a job''. Have fun and enjoy.
John
PS; More like a $1.50 worth than two cents.
07-02-2006, 09:52 PM
Re: single/double planking
But who's going to know...
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