Old Revelle Model Kits

I've got to agree with jtilley on this one - at this point, the Calypso is so far gone structurally that any efforts to "restore" it to its glory days will result in a ship that is not the Calypso at all, merely a parody of what was once arguably the world's most famous vessel. If you have to basically gut a ship from the keel up and replace everything in order to "restore" it, is it still the same vessel? Yes - but in shape only. In every other way it is a new entity that will have none of the historical character or idiosnycrasies of the original vessel.

It's the same thing with "restored" WW II warbirds - if you take a crashed aircraft, and completely replace 95 percent of it with modern materials, is it still a historic WW II aircraft? No. It is a modern recreation of what was a historic aircraft. You only have to go as far as the P-38 Glacier Girl to see what I mean. To take it further and see what happens when these efforts go very, very wrong, follow that with the story of the B-29 Kee Bird.

That's a sad story about the poor old Calypso.  I can see some serious problems in the concept of restoring her.  In order to represent her historical importance she'd have to be fitted out with all the seventies- or eighties-vintage scientific gear she carried while she was working for Cousteau.  I can't imagine how difficult - or expensive - that would be.  I normally advocate saving such historic old ships at virtually any cost, but in this case I have to wonder.  We can't save 'em all, and for this one to end up as an underwater habitat for wildlife, and a practice site for divers, certainly would be an appropriate memorial to Jacques Cousteau.

We've had some good discussions about the fire on board the Cutty Sark here in the Forum.  Once the initial shock wore off, the news actually didn't seem nearly as bad as it did initially.  The damage seems to have been relatively minor (largely due to the fact that so much of the ship's fabric had already been removed as part of the restoration project), and as I understand it she's thoroughly insured.  The insurance company presumably will deal with the majority of the expense of undoing the damage.  I have the impression that, though the originally scheduled date of the reopening of the ship to the public after the restoration probably will have to be pushed back quite a bit, there's every reason for optimism that the old lady will bounce back and look better than before.

Apparently the Cutty Sark hasn't been lucky either.  It was recently the victim of a major fire.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1817806.ece

Dave

An article about the condition of Calypso as of 2007.

http://www.washingtonlife.com/issues/april-2007/wl-feature/

 

Dave

Just as a point of clarification, I got my wife's uncles mixed up.  David Richard Fisher who worked for Revelle still resides in CA.

 

Dave

jtilley

That sounds like a book I need to get.  My wife's maiden name is Fisher.  She knew her uncle as Richard Fisher but we checked with her father and his given name is David Richard Fisher so I guess that's a match.  The story checks out.  My wife remembers him having just loads of photos and other info of the project including shots of him with Cousteau.  As she remembers seeing the slide presentation, it consisted of at least 3 slide carousels. Enough to put any gradeschooler to sleep!  LOL

Ok, I think since this kit was obtained by the designer and it has such a significant family history, I guess I should keep it for my kids or posterity.  I'm going to see if I can get copies of the photos and maybe even sketches or drawings.  Would make a nice heirloom package to pass on.

BTW Dave Fisher retired long ago but still lives in CA with his wife.  We'll have to give him a call and see if he'd like to reminisce a little about his experience on the project.  Now I'm wondering if he might have done the Cutty Sark too.  It seems logical that he would have given his father the kits that he had personally worked on.

This thread has been very enlightening for me.  I thank you all for the information.  If I can lay my hands on some interesting photos or information I'll share them with you.

Dave

Funny how time and timing does "stuff". Two weeks ago I bought a model of the Thermopylae at a train swap meet for $25,the vendor also had a Cutty Sark there for the same price,but I left it having a basement full of unbuilt kits. I also have the CALYPSOand the PBY somewhere in my collection. I've been on a building jag lately ,might be a good time to get em out. Both of the sailing ship models were early issue judging from the box art. Last year I bought a 1/350 model of the Titanic for $25 at an R/C model swap meet. Early issue kit w/water damage to the carton,but all the parts were present in sealed bags. I should quit going to these shows as I collect faster than I can build.

This is a good thread.

Very interesting.

Now I want a model of the Calypso, great.

Mike

jtilley wrote:

I confess I've lost touch with the Cousteau operation in recent years - though I believe it still has an office in either Norfolk or Hampton.  Does any other Forum member know what ever happened to the Calypso?

She was rammed and sunk by a barge in Singapore in 1996, raised and then towed to La Rochelle, France, where she sat rotting away for ten years.  Read some reports a year ago that her wooden structure was in extemely poor shape and some thought she should just be towed out into the Med and scuttled as a sea life habitat.  She was reportedly moved to Concaneau this past October to start some type of restoration. 

Mark

Here's what Dr. Graham's Remembering Revell Model Kits has to say about the Revell-Cousteau connection (pp. 99-101):

"One of the world's pioneer environmentalists was Jacques Cousteau, whose TV show 'The Undersea World' was a fixture on America's television screens.  Popular folk singer John Denver had just recorded a hit song about Cousteaus oceanic research ship the Calypso.  Dave Fisher originated the idea of making a model of the Calypso.

"Cousteau's son Philippe lived nearby at Marina del Ray, and Fiser approached him about the possibility of a model that might be a fund-raiser for Cousteau's conservation society.  Philippe replied that the Cousteau Society did need financial support, but that a 'toy' would not be dignified enough for association with the Cousteau name.

"Undeterred, Fisher arranged for a breakfast meeting with Royle Glaser [Revell's Chairwoman of the Board] and Jacques Cousteau joining the negotiations.  Fisher explained to the elder Cousteau that Revell's model would be educational and would include a bookle explaining the mission of hte Cousteau Society.  This meeting broke the log jam, and Cousteau signed an agreement to furnish the information necessary to make models of his ship and amphibian airplane.  Mrs. Glaser came away from the meeting impressed with both the handsome Philippe and charismatic Jacques.  'I've fallen in love with Jacques Cousteau," she announced to the staff back in Venice.  'He's brilliant and charming.'

"Fisher flew off to Monaco and Toulon, where he visited Cousteau's museums, and then to Greece to measure and photograph the Calypso.  The resulting model incorporated lots of nifty details like Cousteau's two-man diving saucer, a helicopter, a Zodiac boat, and a shark cage with two tiger sharks.  The Calypso flying boat was a modification of the PBY model, molded in white plastic with Cousteau Society decals.  Royle Glaser thought the pair of models made a great product idea, but, like most civilian planes and ships, it turned out that they didn't sell well.  Then Philippe Cousteau died in a crash landing of the Calypso aircraft, and Revell decided to pull the plane model from the market."

daved11 - Was Dave Fisher perhaps your wife's uncle?  The book doesn't include any pictures of him, but there is a publicity photo of Royle Glaser and Philippe Cousteau. 

I had one brief encounter with the Calypso myself.  Back in 1980 I got a job as assistant curator at the Mariners' Museum, in Newport News, Virginia.  At just about that same time the Cousteau Society set up a new headquarters across Hampton Roads at Norfolk.  A few days after I arrived on the job, the museum got a call from the Cousteau folks asking if anybody at the museum spoke French, and might be available to show a couple of gentlemen from the Society around the galleries the next day.  Having had a year of French in college, I volunteered.  (I also had an ulterior motive.  My boss told me to look for an opportunity to broach the possibility of getting one of those miniature submarines donated to the museum.) 

Bright and early the next morning the two gentlemen showed up.  One of them was Alexis Sivirine, who, as I recall, was sort of the Cousteaus' "right-hand man" when it came to the actual operation of the ship.  (He had, in fact, written a book about her; I still have the autographed copy he gave me.)  Fortunately for both of us, his English was considerably better than my French.  The other gentleman's name I fear I've forgotten.  He spoke little English, but was extremely knowledgeable about French eighteenth-century marine paintings and drawings.  (I remember him saying "Tres jolie Roux!" in response to several of our Antoine Roux engravings.)  The three of us had a great morning.  They said they would talk to Cousteau about eventually donating one of the little subs, but I don't think anything ever came of that.  As they were leaving, M. Sivirine told me that if I ever happened to be in Norfolk, I should stop by the Calypso for a visit.

Needless to say, the following Saturday morning I drove over to Norfolk and drove along the waterfront till I found the Calypso.  I had carefully rehearsed (let's see if I can do this right after all these years):  "Bonjour!  Est-ce-que Monsieur Sivirine au bord le vaissau aux jour d'hui, sil-vous-plait?"  Lo and behold he was, and he most generously spent about an hour and a half showing me around.  She was just about the most fascinating ship I've ever seen - and, I have to say, one of the dirtiest.  Notwithstanding Cousteau's reputation for pursuing glitzy publicity, this was a real working ship.  (She was, in fact, a converted, wood-hulled U.S. Navy minesweeper of World War II vintage.  So she must have been at least 35 years old at that time.)

I confess I've lost touch with the Cousteau operation in recent years - though I believe it still has an office in either Norfolk or Hampton.  Does any other Forum member know what ever happened to the Calypso?

Thanks Jtilley

I don't know what condition the decals are in for my 1959 kit.  There is an inner box that would contain them (I think) that I have left unopened.  They certainly haven't been exposed to UV light or anything like that.

As for the Calypso, that is the only one of the two that we're sure that my wife's uncle had a hand in producing.  He's since passed away but my understanding is that he actually got to go on board, take measurements, and probably met the crew as well.  Now my curiosity is picqued.  I think I'll check with his widow and see if she has any photos of him on the ship or maybe with Jacques Cousteau himself.  Would be a fun addition to the model kit.

I think he was too young to have anything to do with the Cutty Sark kit but who knows?  Maybe he's connected to the source for the whole porthole issue.

It's funny that the issue of the portholes came up.  It reminds me of a story my old boss told me.  I live in Kansas City, Mo where the headquarters for Hallmark Cards is located.  Occassionally Hallmark will issue special Christmas ornaments or other toys and collectibles.  My old boss was into old cars and was approached by one of the artists at Hallmark about using his 1932 Ford Model B as the model for an upcoming scale collectible.  Of course he allowed them to come out and photograph and measure the car, etc. 

When the model came out, my boss was both embarrassed and amused to see the final product.  It seems that the model builders re-create whatever they find without taking any liberties to correct imperfections (such as the portholes).  In this case, my bosses old Ford had weak springs in the door handles.  Instead of them sitting at the horizontal position, they sagged about 30 degrees downward on both sides.  Since the model designers didn't know any better, that's the way the model was made.  He enjoys telling that story although I think he's a little bothered in that such a minor detail on a beautifully restored car is immortalized on models around the world.  I think he finally did get around to replacing those springs some time after that.  Timing is everything.

Thanks again

 

Dave

About all I can add to this discussion is the observation that the old 1959 Cutty Sark kit is a real "collector's item" - for better or worse.  The presence of the big portholes in the hull halves makes it pretty rare, and of considerable interest for those who care about such things.  On the other hand, I wonder about the decals (which, in this particular kit, are pretty important).  If they've been sitting around since 1959, the chances of their still being usable are not good. 

A model builder who wants to build a Revell 1/96 Cutty Sark probably will be just as happy with a just-produced one.  A new reissue of the kit was added to the Revell-Monogram catalog just a few months ago, and probably can be found in good hobby shops (and certainly on the web).  The new one won't have the portholes, but the decals should work.  I suspect it's molded in China; according to the grapevine, the quality of the plastic, and the quality control in general, of reissued Revell kits from that source is better than the ones that have been sold under either the German or American Revell labels in recent years.

I'm a little surprised that nobody in this Forum has snapped yet at the opportunity to acquire the Revell Calypso.  I had the impression that it was a rather hot item on the collectors' market.

Thanks Big Jake

I don't know what we'll do.  I thought the kits held more sentimental value to my wife than they apparently do.   I have a 17 year old son and 15 year old daughter neither of which expressed any attachment to the kits when asked.  I love to look at intricate ship models but don't really have the bug to construct them myself.  Maybe I'm just to lazy thinking of protecting them from dust, dirt, and damage for the rest of my life.  LOL

I may hold on to them for a while longer until my kids are a little older and see if they may change their mind.

Thanks for the good feedback.

Dave

David11,

I really don't know what tpo tell you on the Cutty Sark. There are plenty of kits availble and most for for between $40-70 on sites such as Ebay.  I have 3 unbuilt in my stash alone.  The Calipso is a bit rarer, you may want to list it on Ebay start at say $0, you'd be surprised how whigh it will go.

However, you ought to give a try at building the Cutty Sark yourself, and keep it in the family.  Here is a link to one I've built, you it as some referance, the model builds up into a great and beautiful clipper ship.

Mail albums

http://community.webshots.com/user/jbgroby

Cutty Sark Album

http://news.webshots.com/album/208514027pzrDjh

 

 

 

jtilley

Thanks for the leads.  The discussion about the portholes is how I originally found this site.  It showed up in a google search.

I checked the boxes and the numbers that you list (H-575 and H-564) are on the boxes.  I'm amazed that these have survived this long.  I know when I was a kid, I couldn't wait to assemble any car, plane, or spaceship model that I could find. I'm sure that these model kits were coveted by many a young (or young at heart) family member over the years.

I talked to my wife again about these kits and she feels that they would be better off in the hands of someone who might appreciate the rarity that they are.  If anybody is interested in purchasing them for a fair price, they can contact me at daved11@mindspring.com. We would rather see them in the hands of a collector rather than sitting in the top of the closet gathering dust.  Besides, I'd rather not have the responsibility for preserving them for the next 50 years!  LOL

Dave

The best guide to such matters probably is Dr. Thomas Graham's excellent book, Remembering Revell Model Kits (2nd ed.; Atglen, Penn.:  Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 2004).  It's a superb work - a real nostalgia trip for modelers and a useful guide for collectors.  The appendix contains a near-definitive listing of all the kits produced by Revell in the U.S. through 1979, with estimates of their value on the collector's market (as it stood in 2004).

According to this source, the Calypso (kit #H-575) was initially issued in 1977 and remained in the Revell catalog through 1980.  It's described as being on 1/125 scale, and valued at $40-$50.  Dr. Graham doesn't list any other kit numbers for this particular kit, but does note that it was "paired" with kit #H-576, a reissue of Revell's 1/72-scale PBY in the markings of he Cousteau Society.  I seem to remember that at least a couple of participants in this Forum have expressed an interest in this particular kit.  A Forum search on the word "Calypso" should bring up the relevant threads.

The Cutty Sark, Revell's first large sailing ship kit, was initially released with the kit number #H-364 in 1959; it sounds like you've got one of the original versions.  It's been reissued many times, with and without vac-formed plastic "sails"; as a matter of fact it made its latest reappearance in the Revell-Monogram catalog within the last few months.  Dr. Graham lists the following numbers and dates for the reissues (remember that his coverage stops in 1979):  H-394 (1966), H-395 (1966), H-399 (1974), H-393 (1978).  Modified versions of the same kit have also appeared at various times under the names Thermopylae and Pedro Nunes.  (Revell has, unfortunately, used marketing tricks like that on quite a few occasions during its long history.  The real Thermopylae, which was renamed Pedro Nunes when she passed into Portuguese ownership late in her career, looked about like the Cutty Sark from a distance - but there the resemblance ended.)  Dr. Graham says kits from the original release (such as the one you apparently have) are valued at $60-$120.  (When the kit was new it sold for $10 - making it, if I'm not mistaken, the most expensive plastic kit on the market in 1959.)

We've discussed this kit several times here in the Forum.  It's a real classic; though it's undeniably showing its age now, it certainly has the potential to produce an outstanding model.  If yours has the row of large portholes all the way down each side of the hull, it's one of the very first kits released.  The real ship originally didn't have those ports; they were cut into her sides in her later years, when she was serving as a schoolship.  Revell apparently removed the ports from the molds when they were modified to produce the first of the kit's incarnations as the Thermopylae, in 1960. 

Several of us Olde Phogies had a discussion of this kit fairly recently here in the Forum.  Here's the link:  /forums/850464/ShowPost.aspx

Hope that helps a little.