I took the opportunity to visit the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) on my recent October trip to Canada for the Admiralty Models Workshop. Although the purpose of my trip was to learn new model making skills and meet with colleagues, I couldn’t pass up visiting one of the world’s finest collections of historic ship models in nearby Toronto. The photos here are just a small sample I took in the museum’s dedicated Thompson Ship Collection gallery. A large format, 184 page full color book (pictured below) showing many of the models in the collection is also available from the gallery’s gift shop for the amazingly low price of $15 Canadian.
The models were donated by the Canadian businessman and collector Ken Thomson in 2002. The collection contains roughly 2,000 items, including late 17th-century British dockyard models, 19th-century models made by Napoleonic War prisoners, and mid-20th-century models of cargo ships and aircraft carriers. It includes a diverse range of vessels, from 18th-century warships and Napoleonic prisoner models to 19th-century tugs, dredgers, cargo vessels, and even aircraft carriers. The models display exquisite craftsmanship and have significant historical value, serving as detailed records of vessels that no longer exist. Many of the models are masterpieces of craftsmanship, made with intricate details in wood, bone, and other materials.
