Scale: 1:48. An exceptional example of a cased shipbuilder’s half hull model of the 'Catherine Apcar' (1892). It is as intricately detailed and beautifully made as a comparable full hull model with the advantage being that it can be hung on a wall for convenience and to save space. The propeller and the area around the aperture for the shaft have been painted rather than depicted in three dimensions; reflections in the glazing of the deckhouses have also been painted in colours.

Both the model and its mahogany display case were restored by the Museum some years ago and are now in pristine condition. In fact, in some respects, this model, now well over 100 years old, looks much as it would have done when it was brand new. The back of the case, on which the model is mounted, and the case floor, have been covered with blue hessian.

As her name suggests, the 2715-ton iron screw ship ‘Catherine Apcar’ belonged to the Apcar Line. Lit throughout by electricity, she accommodated 16 first-class and nine second-class passengers, with her deck space designed for the China trade. Maharajas to peasants travelled on the Apcar Line across the seas around South-East Asia. Besides the well-heeled first-class passengers, countless workers from China and India, desperate for jobs in Singapore, Penang and elsewhere in Malaysia, were carried as deck passengers. Sometimes more than a thousand at a time were squeezed on board. Livestock also formed part of large consignments. Sheep, goats and cattle from India, typically often upwards of 1200 beasts, were transported to Singapore and Penang.

In 1912 the Apcar Line and its fleet was taken over by the British India Steam Navigation Company. The ships retained their names and most, including ‘Catherine Apcar’, were requisitioned in the First World War as troop carriers. She was sold for scrap in 1929.