USS Porpoise

USS Porpoise

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Description
One of six ships of the U.S. Exploring Expedition, the Porpoise sailed around the world between 1838 and 1842 under the command of Lt. Cadwallader Ringgold. The four-year-long expedition, headed by Lt. Charles Wilkes, covered nearly 87,000 miles, including a full circumnavigation of the globe. Wilkes and his crew sighted Antarctica (proving its existence), charted hundreds of Pacific islands and surveyed the Columbia River in present-day Oregon.
This model was built in the 1980s by Dr. William Brown for an exhibition about the U.S. Exploring Expedition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
ship model
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 36 in x 40 in x 16 in; 91.44 cm x 101.6 cm x 40.64 cm
ID Number
1985.0485.01
accession number
1985.0485
catalog number
1985.0485.01
See more items in
Political and Military History: Armed Forces History
Time and Navigation
Measuring & Mapping
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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