AN EXCEPTIONAL 1:64 SCALE STATIC DISPLAY MODEL OF THE CLIPPER LOCH ETIVE, BUILT AT GLASGOW, 1877

modelled by Captain D. Fraser, circa 1910, with carved and painted 34in. hull, scored lacquered decks complete with fittings including deck rails, boomkins, catheads with wooden anchors, davits, capstan with silver chain, ship’s bell, navigation maps, companionways, covered hatches, chicken coop, deck houses with coiled ropes, four fully-fitted boats with oars etc., cookhouse with chimney, ventilators, saloon lights with seats, binnacle, named steering gear etc., masts with yards with furled suit of sails with chains, standing and running rigging with sheathed blocks and tackle, mounted on two metal columns within glazed oak display case with sliding panel access on oak table stand, overall measurements including stand -- 63 x 24 x 54½in. (160 x 61 x 138.5cm.)

Provenance: De-accessioned from Russell-Cotes Museum, Bournemouth, 2021.

Loch Etive was one of the celebrated fleet of wool clippers owned by the General Shipping Company’s ‘Loch Line’ in the final quarter of the 19th century. One of four essentially identical sisters launched for the line in 1877 (the others being Loch Ryan, Loch Shiel & Loch Sloy), Loch Etive was built on the Clyde by A. & J. Inglis at Glasgow and proved a very successful addition to the company’s fleet. Registered in Glasgow at 1,288 tons gross (1,235 net) and measuring 227 feet in length with a 36 foot beam, she was designed with two decks for maximum stowage and was constructed with a stout iron hull to withstand the worst rigours of the Southern Oceans.

Loch Etive entered service under the command of the estimable Captain William Stuart, who had made his reputation in the famous Tweed, but although “he drove her unmercifully”, she was not destined to be a record-breaker despite being faster than many of her contemporaries. On her maiden passage out in 1878, she made the run from the Scillies to Sydney in an excellent 76 days, with an equally good 79 days (out of Glasgow) in 1881. Probably her best passage was in 1892 when she left Glasgow on 15th October and berthed in Melbourne on Christmas Day after a cracking run of only 70 days. Then, loading a full cargo of wool, she cleared Melbourne on 26th January 1893 and arrived in London docks on 29th April, 93 days out and a very creditable time for the homeward leg. The following year (1894) proved a turning point in Loch Etive’s career however when, on 21st September, Captain Stuart died at sea 5 days out from Glasgow. In the opinion of Basil Lubbock, the acclaimed authority on British commercial sail, Stuart was “without a doubt, one of the most successful captains in the history of our Mercantile Marine”. As for Loch Etive herself, she seemed to lose her sparkle after Stuart’s death and his successor, Captain Fishwick, was never able to get the best out of her. Eventually cut down to a barque in the early 1900s, she was converted to a hulk after her sale to French owners in 1911 for £1,350 and was finally broken up at Genoa some years later.

Condition Report

Fine overall condition.

We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of this property. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Charles Miller Ltd is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD “AS IS” IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE.