Despite long
hours aboard
ship sailors
still found time
to create
wonderful
hand-crafted
objects.
'Over the years,
Welles
Henderson, the
author of this
intriguing book,
noted that the
majority of
maritime museums
throughout the
world placed
their emphasis
on ship
paintings, ship
models,
figureheads,
navigation
equipment,
nautical tools
and weapons but
gave little
insight into the
daily life of
the ordinary
sailor...'
Geoffrey Palin discovers maritime collecting on
a grand scale at Arlington Court in North Devon.
'Watching Ellen
Macarthur sail
into Plymouth
harbour
following her
historic solo
round the world
voyage was
incredible; my
elderly
neighbour did
make me laugh
with her
comments though,
“It’s not like
the old days...
all those
mod-cons; she’s
been in daily
contact via the
internet you
know!” The news
coverage at the
time mentioned
Sir Frances
Chichester as
the first person
to
single-handedly
circumnavigate
the globe...'
Though neither Tortoiseshell nor Shagreen are
immediately associated with the sea, both
substances have oceanic links. By Jane Vandell
'Silver and
tortoiseshell
snuff boxes,
card cases and
leather covered
sewing caskets
were among the
most popular
items that
exclusive gift
shops offered in
Victorian
Britain. As the
seaside holiday
became popular
with an
expanding middle
class, elegant
gift shops and
fashionable
arcades became a
feature of the
more prosperous
destinations...'
Collecting Rainbows: The
Ethereal Beauty Of Mother Of Pearl.
'When sea waves
break on the
shore, the
milk-white foam
takes on an
iridescent sheen
as it catches
the light,
reflecting the
colours of the
rainbow. If it
were possible to
capture this
effect in solid
form you might
end up with
something very
similar to
mother of pearl,
a pearly
translucent
substance used
for centuries to
create objects
of great beauty...'
