Implacable Stern
Client - National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
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When the decision was finally made by the Royal Navy
to sink the Implacable in 1946 they offered the figurehead with quarter
and stern galleries to the newly formed National Maritime Museum.
The figurehead had been on display for many years in the museum though
the stern had remained crated in the store until 1996 when the planed
new Neptune Court project offered suitable space to display a complete
ships stern. |
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Kelvin's part in this project began in October 1996
with building an adjustable scaffold frame to lay all the pieces out
on, it was used to determine the dimensions, angles and compound curves
necessary for the construction of a supporting steel framework. This
also enabled him to assess the condition of the 228 parts and to conclude
that a further 23 pieces of carved or moulded timber were missing
along with two trapezoidal window frames (newsreel footage from 1946
confirms that not all timbers were removed).
On 6/5/97 Kelvin began the process of photographing, cleaning and
consolidating each individual artefact and where possible, bonding
broken parts back together and reassembling groups of parts (i.e.
fitting capitals and bases to columns). This work was completed on
3/2/98.
From February to the end of May Kelvin was making all the missing
parts (carvings and window frames from Yellow Pine, mouldings from
Larch). |
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Assembly in Neptune Court began on 13/7/98 and was
completed on 13/8/98 (the job was at all times within its specified
timetable). |
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Other conservation work carried out for the National
Maritime Museum over the last 21 years includes figure heads, full
size boats and ship models.
Photos with permission of National Maritime Museum. |
