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A monumental and rare example of the art of ship models circa 1903, this representation of the SS United States is remarkable in both size and intricacy. Created for the Scandinavian America Line company to which the original ship belonged, this model boasts impeccable craftsmanship and detail from bow to stern. The model is built to a scale of 1:48, an exceptionally large scale. A comparable model, of the USS Missouri, which is on display at the Washington Navy Yard Museum, was also built to 1:48 scale and required an estimated 77,000 man hours to construct. Every detail is reconstructed with extacting attention, from the system of pulleys and rigging and intricate workings of the upper deck to the depth measurements and brass propellers on the ship's keel. Stately and museum-quality, the model is housed in a glass panelled case with an ornately carved wooden frame. Truly a once-in-a-life-time opportunity for the serious collector.

20th century

Model: 10' 9" long
Case: 148" long x 34 1/2" deep x 54 3/4" high

The SS United States was part of the Scandinavian America Line. Constructed in 1903 by A. Stephen and Sons in Glasgow, she weighed 10,095 tons and was 516 feet long. Her maiden voyage was made on March 30, 1903, sailing from Copenhagen to Christiana (present-day Oslo), and then on to New York, arriving June 3, 1903. The United States left from Copenhagen on her last voyage on October 25, 1934. She was tragically damaged by a fire on September 2, 1935 in Copenhagen and was scrapped later that same year in Leghorn.

The Scandinavian America Line was founded in 1898, when the DFDS (Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskap - the United Steamship Company of Copenhagen) took over the steamship company Thingvalla Line. This passenger and freight service between Scandinavia and the United States was operated under the name Scandinavian America Line. In 1935, Fredrik VIII sailed the final voyage from New York to Copenhagen of the Scandinavian America Line.