Model of the screw-propeller steamship Watergeus, Rijkswerf Amsterdam (possibly), c. 1863
wood, brass, rope and paint, h 35.5cm × l 79cm × w 17cm Catalogue entry
The design of the Watergeus was based on the CSS Alabama, a sloop-of-war deployed for commerce raiding by the southern states during the American Civil War. The vessel’s outward appearance of a merchant ship was misleading, as her high, armoured sides concealed some considerable firepower. She was fitted with a double-screw propeller, which could be raised, and had a retract-able steam funnel.
