Before & After: USS Pawnee

[Mike Serpa]

Crew members, quarterdeck, and starboard battery of U.S.S. Pawnee Charleston Harbor, S.C. - LOC #02970

Scratches and spots on coiled rope, pulley, big gun, etc.

Imagine if the Pawnee was captured by the Confederate Texas Navy and given a new name!

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I like the renaming.

 

[Mike Serpa]

I like the renaming.

I hope Andy likes it!

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

If not, beware of an incoming shot across the bow!

 

[Aussie Billy Sherman]

That perspective really shows how big these ships were. Pretty massive

 

[civilwarincolor]

My colorized version of the Pawnee:

If you want to try something fun, try adding clouds in BEHIND the rigging!

 

[FarawayFriend]

I like the renaming.

I'm soooo slow!! I did notice it only upon having a third look!! Hahahaaa, I bet @AndyHall will like it!!

Great work again @Mike Serpa and @civilwarincolor ! Somehow I thought the big gun would be black like the others, but probably it was brass, right?

 

[civilwarincolor]

Somehow I thought the big gun would be black like the others, but probably it was brass, right?

I honestly don't know. This was one of the early colorization's I did and I have not gone back to revisit it. I did not have the contact list to call on to find out if I was getting things right at that time. I am sure that @Mark F. Jenkins probably knows if this is a brass or iron piece though.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

It should probably be black. I don't think they made pieces that big in brass or bronze in that period. The glossiness is probably what misled you, I suspect.

Pawnee was an interesting gunboat. Designed for shallow water, the floor of her hull actually "drooped" down alongside the keel, leaving her bottom somewhat more flattish (without actually being dead flat). It made her rather unhandy, but she could go farther into the shallows than other vessels of her tonnage.

 

[AndyHall]

I hope Andy likes it!

It's fanatstic.

 

[civilwarincolor]

It should probably be black. I don't think they made pieces that big in brass or bronze in that period. The glossiness is probably what misled you, I suspect.

I've suspected that it would be iron, but the B&W does look a lot glossier than the other artillery pieces, so I made it bronze. I would really like to find someone that knows what kind of gun this is so I can be sure I get the coloring correct.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I can look in my copy of "The Big Guns" this evening, if someone else doesn't beat me to it...

 

[civilwarincolor]

I can look in my copy of "The Big Guns" this evening, if someone else doesn't beat me to it...

That would be great. I hope it is brass, I love the look of it that way.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

That would be great. I hope it is brass, I love the look of it that way.

Just be forewarned, it's not likely to be brass. Some of the iron guns had quite a shine on them... some even still do:

 

[FarawayFriend]

That would be great. I hope it is brass, I love the look of it that way.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but judging from the old guns I have seen (I'm by far no expert) I'm afraid it will probably be shiny black paint/varnish on iron...

 

[civilwarincolor]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but judging from the old guns I have seen (I'm by far no expert) I'm afraid it will probably be shiny black paint/varnish on iron...

I'm hoping it will be something like this model of a Naval gun, that is kind of what I had in mind when I decided on Brass.

 

[FarawayFriend]

I'm hoping it will be something like this model of a Naval gun, that is kind of what I had in mind when I decided on Brass.

 

[18thVirginia]

Mike Serpa, you're a very patient man.!!!

 

[civilwarincolor]

Just be forewarned, it's not likely to be brass. Some of the iron guns had quite a shine on them... some even still do:

NP, ultimately I want it to be right. I have noticed that with ones like the Dahlgren guns, but the rear of this gun was very distinct and did not have the "bulb" appearance of the Dahlgren or the "band" appearance of a Parrot gun. Fingers crossed.

 

[Mike Serpa]

Mike Serpa, you're a very patient man.!!!

Mrs. Serpa might disagree with you!