THERE IS A PLACE WHERE VISITORS CAN LEARN ABOUT MARITIME HISTORY IN SCALE.
AS WE DISCOVERED AT THE NATIONAL
MUSEUM OF SHIP MODELS AND SEA
HISTORY IN SADORUS.
>>
THE ENDEAVOR IS ABOUT FOUR FEET LONG, AND IT IS A MODEL THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED AGAIN, ONE OF SIX
MODELS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN
BICENTENNIAL THREE YEARS AGO.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THESE ON
DISPLAY AT VARIOUS CELEBRATION
POINTS IN AUSTRALIA, AND I WAS
ABLE TO ACQUIRE ONE OF THEM.
THE MODEL OF THE CONSTITUTION IS
ABOUT SEVEN FEET LONG, AND IT IS
VERY, VERY ACCURATE.
IT WAS BUILT IN SELAN, SOUTH OF
INDIA, ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO.
UNIQUE FEATURE OF THIS MODEL,
OTHER THAN ITS HISTORICAL VALUE,
IS THAT IT IS EXTREMELY ACCURATE
WITH THE RIGGING OF THE SAILS,
AND REFINES WHERE ACCURACY
COUNTS IN A MODEL BECAUSE IT IS
REALLY A HISTORICAL ARTIFACT.
ACTUALLY WHAT SORT OF BEGAN THE
MUSEUM WAS THAT MY COLLECTION OF
SHIPS OVER A PERIOD OF 30 YEARS
GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I EITHER
HAD TO START SELLING THEM TO
MAKE MORE ROOM IN MY OWN HOUSE
OR DO SOMETHING WITH THEM.
THIS IS ABOUT 220 MODELS OF
WHICH ABOUT 110 ARE IN THE
MUSEUM AT THE MOMENT.
THERE ARE SOME MODELS FROM
RATHER WELL-KNOWN MOVIES.
THE MODEL OF THE HMS VICTORY IS
ABOUT 14 FEET LONG AND 11 FEET
HIGH WITH MASTS ON IT.
IT WAS USED IN A SERIES OF
MOVIES OF THE SAME TIME PERIOD
WITH NELSON'S FLAGSHIP, AND WAS
PURCHASED FROM UNIVERSAL
STUDIOS.
THE USE OF THESE SHIPS AGAIN,
BECAUSE THEY ARE LARGE WAS TO
SHOW MODEL BATTLES IN SEAS, IN
THE WAY THIS WAS DONE WAS TO
LOAD GUNPOWDER CHARGES IN SMALL
CANNONS THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY
PLUG INTO LIGHT SOCKETS INSIDE
THE HALL.
SOMEONE ON SHORE WOULD PRESS A
KEYBOARD AND BLAST AWAY.
THEY ARE THE NINE FOOT LONG
ROMAN GALLEY FROM THE MOVIE
"CLEOPATRA" IN 1956 WITH RICHARD
BURTON AND LIZ TAYLOR.
AND TIMELY, VERY UNIQUE MODEL
FROM THE MOVIE "BEN HURR."
BEN HURR'S MODEL IS SEVEN FEET
LONG, AND MADE OF COPPER AND
ALUMINUM.
IT IS HAND HAMMERED COPPER TO
FORM THE SHAPE OF A ROMAN
GALLEY.
THEN, OF COURSE, THE SAILS AND
SUPER STRUCTURE ARE ALL WOODEN.
THERE IS ABOUT 75ORES THAT NEED
TO GO INTO THE MODEL AT THIS
POINT AND TIME.
THE BUILDING WAS ORIGINALLY THE
FIRST COUNTRY STORE IN S SADORUS
ABOUT 1878.
IT EXISTED AS A COUNTRY STORE
UNTIL SLIGHTLY AFTER THE
DEPRESSION, AND THEN BECAME A
NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS, A LODGE,
A POST OFFICE, STORAGE BUILDING,
AND HAS BEEN VACANT THE LAST 40
YEARS UNTIL I BEGAN THE
RESTORATION THREE YEARS AGO.
THIS IS A MODEL OF AN ENGLISH
THREE-DECKER FROM THE 17TH
CENTURY.
THE MODEL IS ABOUT THREE FEET
LONG, AND AS YOU GRADUALLY GET
CLOSER TO THE HULL, YOU BEGIN TO
REALIZE THAT IT IS MADE OUT OF
MATCH STICKS WITH THE HEADS CUT
OFF.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED BY A PRISONER
IN THE LOUISVILLE PRISON SYSTEM
ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.
WHEN I STARTED THE MUSEUM THREE
YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A NEWSPAPER
ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN A
NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS, AND A
LADY, MRS. FERGUSON FROM DALLAS,
TEXAS, CONTACTED ME AND SAID SHE
HAD THIS WONDERFUL MODEL SHE
WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO THE
MUSEUM.
THE MODEL IS ABOUT 200 YEARS OLD
AND WAS MADE FOR BELGIAN
CONSULATES TWO HUNDRED YEARS
AGO.
THIS ENDED UP IN A BUILDING IN
DALLAS IN WHICH HER HUSBAND
PURCHASED THE BUILDING AND THEN
SHE DECIDED TO DONATE IT TO THE
MUSEUM.
SO IT IS ONE OF OUR PRIME
ACQUISITIONS.
I THINK I AM THE ONLY MUSEUM THAT FOCUSES ON SHIP MODELS TOTALLY IN THE COUNTRY, AND
SECONDLY, WE CAN PRESENT A LOT
OF HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN THE
MUSEUM THROUGH SHIP MODELS.
IT BECOMES AN EDUCATIONAL
ENDEAVOR, ALSO.
>>
THE MUSEUM IS LOCATED IN SADORUS, WHICH IS JUST TEN MILES SOUTH OF CHAMPAIGN.
IN ADDITION TO THE MODELS, THE
MUSEUM OCCASIONALLY OFFERS
PUBLIC ET SHOWS FOR THE YOUNGER
CROWD.
TO REACH THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SHIP MODELS CALL (217)398-1998 OR GO ON THE WEB TO THE ADDRESS
SHOWN AND CLICK ON THE MUSEUM
LINK.