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Columbia Figurehead - The Mariners' Museum

Title: Columbia figurehead from the ship Benmore
Maker: (Glasgow, Scotland)
Date:   (1871)
Size:    approx.: 8 ft.H x 34 in.W x 27 in. D
The figurehead is a large wooden carved figure of a woman wearing drapery painted as an American flag. The figurehead is believed to have been the figurehead on the bow of the ship, the Benmore; it is thought that the figurehead was carved in 1871 in Glasgow, Scotland at the time the Benmore was built. The figurehead, in the collection of The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia, is currently in the studio to be treated prior to being reinstalled at the Museum.


Overall view of the figurehead lying on its back
(Before Treatment)

Image of photograph of figurehead mounted on ship
Example of a figurehead mounted
under the bowsprit of a ship

X-ray of side view of figurehead

An x-ray mosaic taken of the upper half (side view) of the figurehead shows both the iron rod (on the left side of the image) that was originally used to attach the figurehead to the bow of the ship and also the brass rod (to the right of the iron rod) used to support the figurehead while on display at the Museum.
Image courtesy of The Mariners' Museum.

  
The figurehead had once been exhibited at The Mariners’ Museum using the angled metal plate attached to the back near the base. A base cover had also been added to enclose the base while the figurehead was on display. Figurehead during treatment overall from back
 

After a thorough visual examination of the surface of the figurehead to assess the condition of the original wood, the mounting plate and wood base cover were removed.

The front restoration drapery panel was also temporarily removed. 

The wood at the base is extremely degraded and has extensive radial cracks. 

A treatment proposal is currently being formulated for stabilization treatment as well as the best method of mounting the figurehead once it goes back on display at The Mariners’ Museum.

 
Continue checking back at this section of the web site for updates on the treatment of the figurehead!
 
©2005 Belmont Hills Art Conservation Studios