Vintage Steamboat Model

Last week I brought down, from the Howard Museum attic, a vintage steamboat model. This is thought to date from the 1880's and is said to have been built by Howard Shipyard workers. I recall the model being displayed in the museum prior to the 1971 fire and it bore the name NANCY HANKS (mother of Abraham Lincoln) but on the opposite wheel box in very faded lettering is GRAND CENTRAL. There are photos of Capt. Jim Howard with this model, which bears resemblance to the GREAT/GRAND REPUBLIC. If this is, perhaps, one of the prototype models built in the shipyard, it would not be of that vessel, as she was not a Howard built steamboat.

A museum docent began work on cleaning the model during the summer of 1970, but it was greatly damaged in the blaze of March 17, 1971 and quite a number of pieces, including railing, etc., are now detached and residing in a box. The stacks are missing, but I will search further in the attic!

Before I hauled the model across the street to the new Collections Management Facility, I took a few photos of it which are herewith posted to share. It is undoubtedly the OLDEST model in our collection.

"Curator Keith"