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R. C. [Roger Charles] Anderson , (Jul 23, 1883–Oct 3, 1976)

Santa Maria

1930
29 1/8 in. x 27 1/4 in. (73.98 cm x 69.22 cm)

Medium and Support: Ship model

Credit Line: gift of William Cochran

Accession Number: 1931.S1

Current Location: On view : GC2

Commentary

Santa Maria
The Flagship of Christopher Columbus

Built in Spain about 1480
Length 81 ft.; Beam 27 ft.; Depth 13 ft. 6 in.; Tonnage 200 tons

The Santa Maria was a Spanish merchant ship chartered by Columbus and used as his flagship on his first voyage to America. No plans, pictures, or actual data remain of the original ship, but this model, as well as many other models of that famous vessel, has been reconstructed from information culled from Columbus's journals as well as from data which is available on ships of that time. The Santa Maria left Palosk, Spain, on August 3, 1492, and on October 12, 1492, arrived off San Salvador in the Bahamas. Columbus then cruised along the coast of Cuba and Haiti until Christmas Eve, when he unfortunately ran the Santa Maria onto a coral reef off the coast of Haiti and she became a total loss. Columbus returned to Spain with the news of his discoveries in the Niña, a much smaller ship of no more than 40 tons.

Adapted from Robert E. Peabody, "Santa Maria" catalogue entry in ed. John Ratté, Models of American Sailing Ships, rev. ed. (Andover, MA: Addison Gallery of American Art, 1994), 17

Exhibition List

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

Italy-in-Macy's, U.S.A. R.H. Macy and Co. , 9/10/1951 - 9/29/1951
The Age of Discovery The Metropolitan Museum of Art , 10/1/1957 - 6/30/1958
The Ship, Key to the World (Het Schip, Sleutel Van de Wereld) National Scheepvaartmuseum , 7/15/1958 - 9/15/1958
1/4" scale: Models of American Sailing Ships Addison Gallery of American Art , 9/25/1994 - 1/12/1995

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This object is a member of the following portfolios:

Exhibitions: Ship Models

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