Ships, Folk Art, and Whimsey in Bottles

This is an amazing,museum quality model of the RMS Britannia built in a 44 cm x 23 cm bottle. The RMS Britannia was an ocean liner of the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, later known as Cunard Steamship Company. She was launched on 5 February 1840, at the yard of Robert Duncan & Company in Greenock, Scotland. In January 1842 Charles Dickens traveled to the United States on Britannia. He was seasick for most of the voyage and returned home on a sailing ship. This model is very accurate to the actual ship with wonderful details throughout both in the details of construction and in the standing and running rigging. This whole hull model rests on a small plinth on a wooden floor inside the bottle. There is a solar panel box along side the ship and when placed in a bright light the panels are charged to make the paddle wheels turn.