Model of a 74-Gun Ship on a Slipway c. 1797 - 1800

Here we have an anonymous model of a 74-Gun Ship on a Slipway, created at an unknown date using wood. This model invites us to consider the intertwined histories of maritime power, labor, and empire. The 74-gun ship, a mainstay of naval fleets, symbolizes military might and colonial expansion, while the slipway suggests the immense labor required to construct and maintain these vessels. The anonymous nature of the artist is telling: it reminds us that countless unsung workers, often from marginalized communities, contributed to building these symbols of national power. Consider the human cost of maritime dominance. The ship stands as a testament to both human ingenuity and the exploitation of resources and people. It prompts us to reflect on whose stories are told, and whose are left out, when we celebrate technological achievement. It is a potent reminder of the complex legacies of maritime power.