General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

WOOD (AS PER WORKSHEET) OR ALUMINUM (AS PER CATALOGUE CARD) [TO BE CONFIRMED AT A LATER DATE WHEN MODEL MORE ACCESSIBLE]/ PLASTIC

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

47.0 cm

Width

23.0 cm

Height

34.2 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Marine Transportation

Category

Models

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Bassett Lowke

Country

England

State/Province

Unknown

City

Northampton

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

1955-1960s

Canada

This model was one of a series of 11 models commissioned by the federal Department of Fisheries (DFO) for "The Gallery of Canadian Fishes,"an exhibition opened at the Royal Ontario Museum on March 28, 1955. The exhibition included models of fish species, habitat groups, and fishing boat models. Though the ROM intended the Gallery of Canadian Fishes to be permanent, it closed in the 1960s. The 1955 exhibition text panel for this model read: "Employed in freshwater commercial fisheries of the Great Lakes to catch whitefish, lake trout, pickerel, etc. Design developed by Lake Erie fishermen. Steel-hulled, diesel-engined craft, 50 to 65 feet long suiteable for fishing in rough weather. Power operated net handler. Crew of three or four. Gill-nets rigged with floats and lead weights and usually set on the bottom. Sometimes nets are joined end to end, stretching many miles over fishing grounds. Hauled in forward side of vessel with mechanical net lifter." (Source: LIbrary and Archives Canada)

Function

Fishing boat models present accurate scale-model replicas of actual fishing boats, in this case a Lake Erie fishing-tug, a type of fishing vessel that set gill nets for whitefish, perch, lake trout, and other freshwater species in the Great Lakes.

Technical

This model, commissioned by the Canadian Department of Fisheries, is a 1:48 scale model from British model-makers Bassett-Lowke. Bassett-Lowke made 11 models from specifications provided by DFO, ten of which were exhibited in the Gallery of Canadian Fishes: a Pacific halibut boat; a federal fisheries patrol vessel; an otter-trawler; a Lake Erie fish-tug; a purse seiner; a Pacific troller; an Atlantic long-liner; a British Columbia gill-netter; an inshore-dragger; and a Lake Winnipeg gillnetter. An eleventh model, a Northumberland Strait lobster boat was not apparently exhibited. Archival records indicate that Bassett-Lowke made duplicate models of Atlantic fishing vessels in 1956 for an exhibit in Halifax and an additional six vessel types, possibly for the National Museum of Man, that same year.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

N/A

Missing

There is a loose small panel with the model that appears to be a door or hatch cover but its proper location is not apparent. Porthole behind opening on port side missing its glazing.Otherwise appears complete.

Finish

IN A PLASTIC CASE WITH BROWN HARDWOOD BASE/ BELOW WATER LINE BOAT IS MAROON, THEN BLACK & WHITE DECK/ MADE OF

Decoration

N/A