Model of the Stern of a 60-Gun Frigate c. 1831

Editor: So this is a model of the stern of a 60-Gun Frigate, made around 1831 by Pieter Glavimans. It’s beautifully carved out of wood. It feels so... incomplete, like a fragment of a much larger narrative. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What strikes me is that this model isn't just a technical exercise; it represents a complex network of power and global exchange. Frigates like this one played a crucial role in colonial expansion and the enforcement of trade routes, violently impacting countless lives. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. I was focused on the craftsmanship. Curator: Exactly. And that craftsmanship is itself implicated! Who was conscripted to build these vessels? What resources were plundered to create them? Understanding the historical context encourages us to reflect on the ethics of maritime power and its legacy. Editor: So you are saying it is more than just an innocent decorative piece. It embodies a complicated part of our history. Does the lack of completion also reflect this violence or some sort of… absence? Curator: Perhaps. Its unfinished nature invites speculation. Was it abandoned mid-production due to resource shortages, shifting political tides, or even resistance from the workers themselves? It serves as a potent reminder that history is rarely a complete or tidy narrative. It asks questions about who holds the power to tell that narrative. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. I’ll definitely think differently about historical models from now on. Curator: Me too. Thinking about what's *not* there really opens up the work for me.