The MAYFLOWER, built in 1897 by J & G Thompson, Designed by G.L. Watson.
An elegant steam yacht of importance, this fine model of the Presidential yacht MAYFLOWER is by one of the world's premier contemporary ship model artisans, made directly after the original dockyard builders model which was undergoing restoration in England. The luxury steam yachts of the late 19th & early 20th centuries hold as much grace as any vehicle created, and MAYFLOWER holds its ultimate pedigree from within American politics. Built to match the exacting standards of the original dockyard model, it features the detail and quality that only the best models possess, built up from the solid hull displayed on turned brass pedestals.
MAYFLOWER was built in 1896-97 by J. & G. Thompson of Clydebank, Scotland from the design of George L. Watson, she began her days as the yacht of New Yorker Odgen Goelet. The U.S. Navy in turn purchased the yacht from his estate in 1898, and put her in service as a gunboat during the Spanish-American War. Her political service began in 1905 under President Theodore Roosevelt, as the floating introduction place for the Russo-Japanese peace treaty in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. President Roosevelt won a Nobel Peace Prize as a result of this international conference, and kept the yacht in presidential service until President Herbert Hoover decommissioned MAYFLOWER as an economic relief in 1929. In those 24 years, the yacht was the scene of numerous diplomatic and social events, including the British Royal Family and President Woodrow Wilson's courtship of Mrs. Edith Bolling Galt.</p
MAYFLOWER measured a very long 321 feet overall, 288 feet in waterline with a 37 foot of beam. She displaced 2,690 tons and was powered by dual triple-expansion four-cylinder steam engines driving twin propellers, capable of cruising 12 knots and reaching 16.5 when pushed. As the model shows, there were elaborate deck prisms allowing light below to the luxurious cabins and stateroom, as well as windows. The multi-tiered decks are covered with instrumentation, and the planking is hand-drawn in India ink, clearly leading between the primary bridge station and the stern bridge.
This attractive model shows the exacting detail the best quality ship modelers stride to achieve in their representative works. The brass and silver-plated hardware is accurately scaled throughout, down to the precise grates, binnacles, ventilators and the vast amount of additional hardware. There are three life boats, a small dory, and a captain steam jolly boat set on davits, over the walks where every stretch has a handrail. The exceptional new mahogany & glass case complements the large ship model perfectly. Steam yachts are amongst the rarest of ship model types, coming available very infrequently.
