Who would have thought that so many beautiful ship models would be on display in Redwood City. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, but it’s not a place that comes to mind when you think about ship model exhibits. But, the San Mateo County History Museum has a beautiful collection of 24 ship models that were built by the late Charles Parsons.
The museum has done a truly wonderful job in creating the exhibit which takes up a room to itself and includes a video presentation of the late Mr. Parsons and his models. Parsons was a former mechanical engineer for Chevron and was a member of the South Bay Model Shipwrights group that now meets in Los Altos, CA.
The models are mostly, if not all, scratch built and beautifully done. Some appear to be based on Hahn plans and built with frames exposed. Others include the USS Hartford in 1/8″ scale, the HMS Victory, also in 1/8″ scale, a Xebec, American privateer Prince de Neufchatel, Golden Hind, a Fletcher-class Destroyer, and many, many others.
If you’re in the area, this is something you’re going to want to check out. Here’s an article from 2005 on the exhibit: Naval passion on display / ‘Ships of the World’ exhibit shows artistry of late San Carlos resident – SFGate.
Visit the museum website for more details here: San Mateo County History Museum Home
Ship Modeler 