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Dear Vintagemodeler, Here's the skinny on your question: According to the book "The Charles W. Morgan" by John F. Leavitt (second edition) Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc., Mystic CT.
Harry Neyland, a well known New Bedford marine artist was doing his utmost to arouse sufficient interest in among municipal and state authorities to take over the ship as a museum. He personally acquired many of her shares, and in 1924 he was listed as Master and managing owner. Neyland had the inspiration to get in touch with Col. Edward H.R. Green, the wealthy grandson of Edward "Black Hawk" Robinson, principal owner of the ship from 1849 to1859. Green, a man of many interests and sudden enthusiasms, seems to have needed little persuading and soon had a permanent berth prepared for her at his summer estate of Round Hill, south of New Bedford. The ship was completely refitted as a ship rigged vessel as per her original rig, sails made and bent, was repaired and repainted with the white wale and false black gunports and white masts and spars, like the model you saw in New Zealand. The ship was opened to the public around1925-6 and became " a mecca for thousands of people interested in whaling and maritime history in general." Sadly Col. Green
died in 1935 and left no provision to maintain the ship and with the depression, interest and funds dried up. She languished until November of 1941 when she was acquired by the Mystic Museum and towed there, fortunately just before Pearl Harbor. The rest can be found in Leavitt's book with a complete set of plans for the ship and an exhaustive history.
Around 2004-5 I had a furniture restoration client who was from an old New Bedford family and was in possession of an extensive collection of ship models, including two nearly identical tourist trade models of the Morgan much in need of cleaning and repair dating back to the 1920s when the ship was a booming museum tourist attraction. A cottage industry of tourist modelmaking grew up in New Bedford producing models of the Morgan as she looked on display at Round Hill, along with some others like the Flying Cloud. These came from a small shop of artisans producing the models by hand according to a master plan. But each made individually as they varied slightly one to another betraying a different hand in the construction of each.
I offered to take a crack at restoring them pro bono, got he job and proceeded to figure it out relying on my skill set and rules for restoring and conserving valuable period antique furniture. I am happy to say that my client was thrilled with the results and gave me one of the models to keep in recompense. I restored two Clipper Ship models for him as well, along with several nice pieces of furniture. He had a bone sailor model of a whaling ship as well from New Bedford. I can't venture to say what that thing is worth.
Pete
Harry Neyland, a well known New Bedford marine artist was doing his utmost to arouse sufficient interest in among municipal and state authorities to take over the ship as a museum. He personally acquired many of her shares, and in 1924 he was listed as Master and managing owner. Neyland had the inspiration to get in touch with Col. Edward H.R. Green, the wealthy grandson of Edward "Black Hawk" Robinson, principal owner of the ship from 1849 to1859. Green, a man of many interests and sudden enthusiasms, seems to have needed little persuading and soon had a permanent berth prepared for her at his summer estate of Round Hill, south of New Bedford. The ship was completely refitted as a ship rigged vessel as per her original rig, sails made and bent, was repaired and repainted with the white wale and false black gunports and white masts and spars, like the model you saw in New Zealand. The ship was opened to the public around1925-6 and became " a mecca for thousands of people interested in whaling and maritime history in general." Sadly Col. Green
died in 1935 and left no provision to maintain the ship and with the depression, interest and funds dried up. She languished until November of 1941 when she was acquired by the Mystic Museum and towed there, fortunately just before Pearl Harbor. The rest can be found in Leavitt's book with a complete set of plans for the ship and an exhaustive history.
Around 2004-5 I had a furniture restoration client who was from an old New Bedford family and was in possession of an extensive collection of ship models, including two nearly identical tourist trade models of the Morgan much in need of cleaning and repair dating back to the 1920s when the ship was a booming museum tourist attraction. A cottage industry of tourist modelmaking grew up in New Bedford producing models of the Morgan as she looked on display at Round Hill, along with some others like the Flying Cloud. These came from a small shop of artisans producing the models by hand according to a master plan. But each made individually as they varied slightly one to another betraying a different hand in the construction of each.
I offered to take a crack at restoring them pro bono, got he job and proceeded to figure it out relying on my skill set and rules for restoring and conserving valuable period antique furniture. I am happy to say that my client was thrilled with the results and gave me one of the models to keep in recompense. I restored two Clipper Ship models for him as well, along with several nice pieces of furniture. He had a bone sailor model of a whaling ship as well from New Bedford. I can't venture to say what that thing is worth.
Pete
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