Builder's full hull model of a ship's lifeboat (circa 1941), at a scale of 1:12. It is fully rigged with sails, mast and spars, with buoyancy tanks fitted to the hull internally in the thwarts (seating). The name ‘Britannia’ is on the port quarter and ‘Glasgow’ is on the starboard quarter. There is a number ‘7’ on the port and starboard bows. The model is depicted with an imitation biscuit, egg cup and spoon all at full size.

The Anchor Line’s SS ‘Britannia’ was sunk by a raider off the Cape Verde Islands in 1941. This lifeboat, no. 7, was cast adrift for 23 days with 82 people aboard with only a biscuit, an egg cup full of water and a spoonful of condensed milk as their daily ration. The vessel sailed 1535 nautical miles to Brazil, by which time only 38 had survived.