Model of an Oared Landing Craft 1785

Curator: Here we have a “Model of an Oared Landing Craft” crafted around 1785 by William May. Editor: The boat seems stranded; like a curious skeleton pulled from the depths, suspended mid-repair. It’s beautiful, haunting. Curator: Indeed. What strikes me is the sheer labor involved. Look at the exposed framing—the wooden ribs painstakingly carved and fitted. You can almost feel the artisan’s hands shaping each component. Editor: And those tiny nails—like metallic stitches holding this frail frame together. It is like shipbuilding itself is exposed to dissection. What were the social currents churning while they were building landing crafts in 1785? Curator: The late 18th century was marked by both colonial expansion and technological innovation in shipbuilding, driving the demand for such vessels. The material conditions surrounding May, his access to quality timber, the availability of skilled labor, are equally crucial to understanding this object. Editor: The water lapping softly as men jump into enemy territory. Then back to that ghost of the boat sitting there on legs. Did the British colonize somewhere using landing crafts like these? I can just picture red coats disembarking on some sunny beach in a country taken without permission... Curator: Precisely. These boats would have been part of the logistics of colonial control, essential for moving troops and supplies in coastal conflicts. Editor: The underside is quite fascinating. Almost like peering inside some long extinct animal or a toy dropped from space into another time. Curator: Considering this work in context makes me rethink the notion of it being a purely decorative model; it speaks volumes about the practicalities of naval power. Editor: And how fragile even war machines could appear as ideas... Well, seeing this boat has certainly stirred a storm of thoughts in my mind!