American Civil War Ironclad Colors

I don't claim any real expertise on this subject, but I have read a little about it. I have the impression that the documentation about color schemes of Civil War vessels is, in general, pretty vague. The written documents rarely mention colors, so researchers are left with two types of sources: contemporary oil paintings and photographs (all of the latter, of course, being in black and white). The photos that exist (and there aren't a lot of them) seem to suggest that most of these ships were painted a very dark color - if not black, then mighty close to it. I think I've seen some reputable models of Confederate ironclads with grey hulls, but I can't recall seeing a model, painting, or photo of a Union turret ironclad that wasn't black.

Some years ago I got hired by the Monitor Marine Sanctuary to design a paper model of the Monitor for distribution to kids. I had quite a few conversations with the historians and underwater archeologists who had studied that ship intensively. They were pretty firmly of the opinion that she was painted black above the waterline and red below - the red being a rather bright shade of red lead primer.

That's about all I can offer. Maybe some Civil War experts out there can contribute something in greater detail.

I'm no expert but I recall reading in Clive Cusslers book The Sea Hunters that a least one CSS riverine ironclad was painted brown.
Is that of any help?
Dai

Thanks guys. Yes, all info helps. I totally buy that the USS Monitor was black, never seen anything to dispute that. And yes, there were several color schemes for Southern ironclads (blue gray, light gray, brown, rust red, black).

I'm going to just have to make a judgement call on this. I painted the USS Chickasaw in primer gray, which is very close to what the light gray I'd assume she'd wear as a final color is, and I don't really like it. Unless I can find something that definitely says she was in gray within the next week, I'll go with a very dark gray to light black.

Thanks!

Devin

I'm adding this "reply" to bring the thread to the top of the list. A new query from a newcomer relates to it.

Just so happens that I live in Columbus Georgia, the home of the new CIVIL WAR NAVAL MUSEUM-this is a world class museum of the Smithsonian type-with full sized displays of warships, surround sound battle exhibits-you are inside the casemate of a Union ship in battle, you hear the shot and shell hitting the armor and the deck shakes and shifts as you start to ship water. There are actual samples of the Monitor's armor on display and excellent models of the Virginia and Monitor to examine-the hulls above the waterline of both Confederate and Union ships are BLACK-matte black.

Funny to see this post still around and active!

I finished my little diorama. I went with a very dark gray for teh Chickasaaw, and gray for the Tennessee:

http://www.devinjpoore.com/models/mobile.htm

-Devin