British Imperialism and its Legacies: Models of Luxury Sailing and Steam Yachts
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Glasgow Museums has 44 models representing elite yachting in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, within the wider ship model collection. These models show steam yachts and sailing yachts owned by extremely wealthy individuals, men and women whose personal and family fortunes had their origin in, or were maintained by, the British Empire. Large sailing yacht racing and steam yacht cruising were high-status pastimes that involved huge investment in vessels, maintenance and crew.
Sixteen models represent yachts owned by families involved in British industry and manufacture (such as Gleniffer, owned by James Coats (1842 – 1912) and Zaza owned by William Beardmore (1856 - 1836), 12 are of yachts owned by men involved in shipping and shipbuilding (such as La Falaise, owned by James Bryce Allan (1893 - 1960), and 11 are models of yachts owned by major landowners.
The enormous wealth of Major Henry Keswick (1870 – 1928) of the Hong Kong-based firm Jardine Matheson was displayed in his lavish steam yachtCutty Sark, was built along the lines of a naval destroyer and commissioned for his private world cruise in 1922.
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