I believe this is a photograph of H.M.S. Mars, a 'modern ironclad' (battleship) built in 1896. The photo appears on the cover of the facsimile edition of Jane's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1898 [Fred T. Jane (Ed.). Arco Publishing Company, Inc., N.Y., 1969], but is not identified. Comparison to the drawings in the book lead me to believe it is Mars, though there are several other ships in related classes that it could be. I would like to think it is Mars, since the name is so appropriate to this subject. This photo also provided ideas about the general appearance of large British warships of the period, including how they were painted. However, the main thing I borrowed from this photo was the side-by-side funnels. As far as I can determine, this was an unusual arrangement for large warships, and by using it on Thunder Child, I assurred that she would stand out from other ship models.
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