Mirror-Backed Models

Comments

Glasgow Museums has 48 mirror-backed models as part of the wider half-hull ship model collection. Half-hull models mounted on mirrors first were first produced by Clyde shipyards in the 1880s and became a distinctive Scottish style from the 1890s to 1910s. Shipbuilders and shipowners on the Clyde wanted to showcase their products and, in the absence of the real vessel, used models in their boardrooms, shipping offices or in one of the many industrial exhibitions held in the late nineteenth century. Most mirror-backed models take the form of a detailed half-hull model fitted to a mirror-glass backing board and housed in a wooden case with angled, mirror-glass sides. This means that every detail of the model, from the shape of the bow to the dial on the binnacle, is reflected in the mirror giving the impression of a full-hulled model that can be viewed from any angle. Unlike household mirrors, the glass these models is mounted on has the silvering applied to the surface, not to the reverse of the glass. This gives a direct reflection where any part of the model touches the mirror. Surface mirrored glass is very fragile, however, and many mirror-backed models have flaking or tarnished backings. Some detailed decorative half-hull models on plain backing boards began life as mirror-backed models but have had degraded glass replaced with a more easily maintained backing.

Broader term

Ship Models

Staff Contact

Emily Malcolm