This model is a part of the A. A. Stewart collection of ship, mechanical, and railway models acquired by the Powerhouse Museum over nearly 30 years from 1938 to 1963. Albyn A. Stewart was a trained engineer fascinated by engineering models and he constructed some of those in the collection. Others however were brought from amateur and commercial modellers at great expense to Stewart who travelled regularly to England to seek out models. In January 1938, Percival Marshall, the editor of 'The Model Engineer' England's premiere modelling magazine devoted editorial space to the collection where he stated that "Mr. Stewart has been fortunate in acquiring some excellent examples of both screw and paddle marine engines of considerable value as records of real prototype practice."

In April of the same years he expanded his comments on the collection by saying, "As a trained engineer himself, his judgement of the technical merits of a model is very sound, and I should imagine that his collection is now the finest of its kind in Australia, in private hands. Many of the models are undoubtedly worthy of careful preservation, and I hope that they will eventually find a suitable resting place in one or other of the Australian national museums."

Stewart was first contacted by the Technological Museum, as the Powerhouse Museum was then known, in 1933. The then Director/Curator A. R. Penfold immediately recognised the importance of the engineering models and in 1935 began to loan items for display. Penfold expanded the area available for displaying the models as they were seen as instructive for students at the adjacent Technical College as they were for the general public.

In early 1938 Stewart's company 'Lymdale Ltd.' which owned most of the models was approached about the purchase of a large part of the collection. Stewart was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Museum and in July 1938 it began to purchase the models it had loaned as well as the best examples in the rest of the collection. The cost of this was estimated at over 3000.00 pounds. By 1943 the museum was still acquiring material from the collection and the Advisory Committee made a special appropriation request to the Minister of Education. "In view of the advantage of retaining a collection intact, and the national asset which the museum possesses, the committee recommends the purchase of the remainder of the Stewart collection offered at approximately 2,400. This sum was approved and between 1943 and 1945 around 80 more models were purchased. Apart from the monetary limitations the acquisition was spread over a number of years because some of Stewart's models needed to be finished before they could be sold.

The high costs reflected the quality of the models. Many of the working steam engines are one-off examples hand crafted by amateur modellers over the course of years. The same is true of some of the ship and locomotive models many of which are made to exact scale and include working parts. The models were carefully collected by Stewart who collected as much for posterity as he did for personal interest. Once contacted by the museum he deliberately sought models which would fill historical and technological gaps and as a result the collection is one of the most significant still extant in Australia. A. A. Stewart died in 1961.

The museum purchased this model in 1942.

Geoff Barker, March, 2007

References
Marshall, Percival, 'The Model Engineer ', London, April 29, 1937
Marshall, Percival, 'The Model Engineer', London, May, 27, 1937
Marshall, Percival, 'The Model Engineer ', London, January, 27, 1938
Marshall, Percival, 'The Model Engineer ', London, April, 14, 1938
Chalmers, A. Mar, 'The Model Engineer in Australia and New Zealand, Melbourne, January, 1939
Davison, G., Webber, K., 'Yesterday's Tomorrows; the Powerhouse Museum and its precursors 1880-2005', Powerhouse Publishing, 2005
Lavery, B. and Stephens, S., 'Ship Models; their purpose and development from 1650 to the present', Zwemmer, London, 1995

Model is manufactured by Bassett-Lowke Ltd., Nothampton ,England. Bassett-Lowke was a toy model manufacturer in Northampton, England ,founded by W. J. Bassett-Lowke in 1898 ,specialising in model railways, boats, ships, and construction sets. In collaboration with a company known as " B.M.C.", the company produced a model boat of every class in the British navy from 1885 through to 1916., including tugs, troopships and the Royal Yacht. Also ,during WW11, detailed ship models in 1:1200 scale ,were issued at the behest of the British Admiralty. Bassett-Lowke went out of business in 1965. Hornsby acquired the name in 2008 and now manufacture Bassett-Lowke models.

The reference on the 'maker's plate' to the "Edinburgh Branch 1 Frederick Street" dates the model to the period 1924-1930.

Model manufactered by Bassett-Lowke Ltd., Northampton ,England. Bassett-Lowke was a toy manufacturer founded by W.J. Bassett-Lowke in1898, specialising in model railways, boats, ships and construction sets. in collaboration with a company known as "B.M.C. ", the company produced a model boat of every class in the british Nany from 1885 through to 1916, incliuding tugs, troopships and the Royal Yacht. Also, during WW11, detailed ship's models in 1:1200 scale were produced at the behest of the British Admiralty. Bassett-Lowke went out of business in 1965. Hornsby acquired the name in 2008, and now manifacture Bassett-Lowke models. This model is part of the A.A. Stewart Collection.

Ship model, British Naval Motor Life Boat on wooden base,clockwork engine, timber construction, yellow hull below water line and black above and burgundy trim, detachable mast and sail (sail torn), 3 blade propeller, rudder, guard rails. Key for clockwork motor is missing. Bassett-Lowke Ltd, Northhampton, England, 1938, A A Stewart Collection (OF).

Made: 1938

:

B770

1938

340 mm

150 mm