Smithsonian Ironclad Drawings

[DaveBrt]

In 1962, to ready me for my junior year in high school (the American History year), my family to a multi-week car trip from central Texas to Richmond/Gettysburg/etc. One stop was at Mariner's Museum, where I saw a recently finished set of wooden models of the James River Squadron, constructed by the Smithsonian.

When I got home, I wrote to the man who had made the models, William E. Geoghegan, Exhibit Specialist, Division of Transportation, to see if I could get drawings of the ships on display. Below are the only two he completed; because of a deadline issue, he made the others ships off a rough sketch.

I have no idea what sources Mr. Goeghegan used and therefore no idea how much these should be trusted, but I add them to the general research effort.

 

[Story]

I have no idea what sources Mr. Goeghegan used and therefore no idea how much these should be trusted, but I add them to the general research effort.

He gets a shout-out in Confederate Shipbuilding, so that should count for some street cred (or in this case, dock cred)
https://books.google.com/books?id=L...ITAB#v=onepage&q=William E. Geoghegan&f=false

 

[DaveBrt]

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

It's my understanding that William E. Geoghegan is quite highly thought of, and he used the best sources available to him, so they should be taken seriously. I think information has come to light since he did his work that might have altered some of his conclusions, however; so they shouldn't be taken as straight fact-- just very good theoretical reconstructions.

 

[rebelatsea]

Mark is absolutely right, William Geogehan did CSN researchers and historians incalculable good. I agree later research and discovery can change or even invalidate things, but the majority of his drawings have proved to be accurate .

That plan of Texas incidentally was the way Columbia, Tennessee and Texas were to be. However three different constructors did three different things: Columbia was constructed to the plan or very nearly, Tennessee was rebuilt from the original 180 ft draft plan with a long casemate, into a "bastard" ship by Joseph Pearce being pushed by Franklin Buchanan, and Texas herself was altered by John Luke Porter twice.

However William Geogehan's masterpiece for me will always be his CSS Mississippi - very wrong but wonderful !
I'm sure you will all forgive me for adding it on here once again. Boats and ancilliary fittings are my additions.

 

[Dilandu]

Long, but quite proportional) Looks better than right drawnings, actually)

 

[Yankeedave]

I didn't realize they were so big. i saw the cairo after a very looong event once but i was so tired i remember little beyond being impressed by it.

 

[rebelatsea]

Long, but quite proportional) Looks better than right drawnings, actually)

I drew the Mississippi from the contract specs and the evidence given at the enquiry, so will stand by it's accuracy.
William Geoghehan would (should?) have had access to the same documentation, but Hey Ho, he produced by far the better looking ship !

 

[Yankeedave]

I drew the Mississippi from the contract specs and the evidence given at the enquiry, so will stand by it's accuracy.
William Geoghehan would (should?) have had access to the same documentation, but Hey Ho, he produced by far the better looking ship !

Thats as good as a book to me. the amount of information you divulge over time will be equal to it. thanks