Painters created masterpieces on canvas with palette and brush. August Crabtree created masterpieces in miniature with a block of wood and self-made tools.
Visitors to The Mariners’ Museum, whether landlubbers, experienced ship modelers, or old salts, are awestruck by the beauty and intricate detail of the Crabtrees’ miniature ships, which relate the story of the evolution of water transport from raft to steam power.
As the English poet T.S. Eliot wrote, “The sea is all about us.” The miniature ships of August and Winnifred Crabtree—the matchless legacy of two uncompromising artists—
eloquently tell the story of humankind’s relationship with the sea.
