The S.S. Donau - a model boat recreation

A custom-made ship model of the German Norddeutscher Lloyd ship S.S. Donau, the ship that Joseph and Juliana Schmidt travelled, along with the Froemel family, from Bremen, Germany to New York City in March of 1879. The model was made by my amazing Great Uncle, Bob Raymond, who at 90 still has the right stuff. He made the model for me during the Summer of 2016 as a thank you for my productive two years of research of his wife's beloved Schmidt family history. While the model is very special, the fact that Bob was able to make it at all is the show stopper. It was a task he had planned before a long spell of ill health, from which his recovery was a joy unto itself. Seeing him work on the project over the months brought a tear to my eyes and I know his wife Maryann was moved as well. To see Bob recover and resume his passion was more precious than the model, and yet every time I look at the ship, I continued to be astounded by the detail and the craftsmanship. In our family, to own a Bob Raymond original is an honor and it will be a fitting legacy of an amazing man. Photo by Jay Lawrence.

Detail views of the ship. Bob used Alpha-bits soup to make the lettering. A clever tool for an imaginative model boat builder. Photo by Jay Lawrence.

Detail views of the ship. The model was hand-made by Bob Raymond. Photo by Jay Lawrence.