Did you know that bone ships were produced by prisoners of war, mostly those interned in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars some 200 years ago? Many have been produced as objects of art with an amazing love for detail and accuracy, even models of famous existing vessels. This is the US Frigate Chesapeake.

The International Maritime Museum (IMM) in Hamburg probably has the biggest collection on display in the world. Dr. Manfred Stein, a retired oceanographer has made it his vocation to restore the bone ships to their former splendour.

He has written a book about this work of love and maintains an amazing website with all kinds of information about bone ships. See his brief review of the museum exhibition in Hamburg.

US Frigate Chesapeake in its full splendor at the IMM.

Photos by CE Nauen.