Scale: not calculated. Full hull model of a Thames sailing barge (1913), for transporting cargo. Model is decked, equipped and rigged, with sails furled and set.

This is one of a small collection of silver models in the NMM collection. It had originally been presented to His Majesty King George V in 1913, and was purchased for the Museum in 1929, for £50.0.0. It is a fine example of the silversmith’s craft with its furled and set sails, rigging, and intricately made equipment.

Thames barges were once a common sight on London’s river, and approaches to it, perfectly evolved for their operating environment to carry maximum loads with the minimum number of crew. They were still in regular use until the 1970s, and they can still be seen today on the River Thames, outwardly hardly changed, though in their new guise as heritage and tourist craft.