Schooner L.A. DUNTON, c. 1926
Class B Modified Scratch-Built Model Scale 1:48
$25,000
L.A. Dunton was designed by Thomas McManus and was based on one of his earlier designs, the fishing schooner, Joffre. She was built at the A.D. Story shipyard in Essex, Massachusetts, in 1921. The schooner had a long career as an active fisherman all the way into the 1950’s, although she underwent many changes over the years. The most radical was her conversion to a motor powered vessel. When originally built, the schooner had the option of an engine being installed. But, for the first five or six years, she was exclusively sail powered. This portrait of the ship imagines how she may have looked after five or six years in a business that was, on a daily basis, one of the most difficult and demanding ways to make a living. Deep water fishing took a toll on the men and the ships. Dunton is beginning to show the signs of that wear and tear. There is rust seeping through the paint. Grime and oil stains are evident on and under the windlass and winch. Foot traffic patterns are worn into the deck. Half the dories have been removed so the deck can be replaced. This gives us a view down into the fish bins. Likewise, part of the trunk cabin roof is being replaced. The chart table, stove and lamp is just visible through the joists. Lauria’s intent was not to show L.A. Dunton in pristine condition, as she might have looked on launch day, but to illustrate her true nature: a tough, hard-used, and yes, regal working vessel of New England. The plans used for this model are from Mystic Seaport, supplemented with extensive research on the actual ship at the Museum. The case is mahogany with acrylic glass panels and an MDF infield painted matte black. The model is mounted in a cradle, also made of mahogany with a scrimshawed antique piano key quarter board. Spars are maple. Much of the deck furniture and other details are poplar and basswood. Rigging line is primarily linen and some cotton. The name pennant is mulberry paper. Paints and stains are acrylic. Adhesives are wood glue, epoxy and cyanoacrylate. Metal work is brass.
