The Vasa Museum Stockholm Revisited

Matchlock · 8th March 2009, 07:36 PM

The ship sank in 1628.

As the light at the museum is very low many of the pics are quite poor.

A note on the firearms: they were not recovered from the wreck but are on loan from the collections at the Livrustkammaren, the former Royal Arsenal. Sadly they are inappropriate pieces in that they were made 20-30 years after the ship had sunken. The matchlock musket is from the 1640's, the two wheel-lock pistols from the 1640's and 1650's respectively.

Note the two incendiary quoits.

Michael

Matchlock · 8th March 2009, 07:39 PM

More.

Matchlock · 8th March 2009, 07:45 PM

More.

Matchlock · 8th March 2009, 07:50 PM

More.

Matchlock · 8th March 2009, 07:55 PM

More.

Matchlock · 8th March 2009, 08:22 PM

Once again the matchlock musket and wheel-lock pistols on display at the Vasa Museum, 1640's-50's, in comparison with samples of the 1620's-30 from the Army Museum Stockholm.

While, amongst other details, the older muskets have broad fishtail butt stocks, the one on display at the Vasa Museum shows the more advanced rounded belly butt of the 1640's. After ca. 1650, the rounded form took over and the pronounced sides of the earlier years began to vanish.
From ca. 1670 onward, the "modern" musket butt stock had reached its final form still featured on 21st century British shotguns.

The wheel-lock pistols of ca. 1625-30 were shorter than those of the the late 1640`s-50's.

Michael

Matchlock · 8th March 2009, 08:29 PM

Matchlock muskets, ca. 1620-50, the second from top dated 1626, the fourth ca. 1650, a flintlock musket of ca. 1670 and the latest form of a matchlock, ca. 1700-20 - all at the Royal Army Museum Stockholm.

Please not the significant evolution of the butt stocks.

Michael

M ELEY · 9th March 2009, 12:34 AM

Michael-
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is a thread after my own heart. These days, I am completely obsessed with anything maritime/pirate/privateer, so it was a very refreshing moment to see this thread. I can't believe all of the pics you have so generously posted here for us! I have seen far less pics on most web sites and in my books! What an incredible wreck and salvage this was. Can't wait to someday see it in person. Especially the stern, with all its carved figures. The one pic showing the colored panel and how it must have looked like is a real eye-opener. So bright and (dare I say it) gaudy. You get used to seeing the drab colors of figure-heads and ocean salvage many centuries later and assume that the wood was left unpainted, but here we see the truth. It was like when they recently restored the Sistine Chapel's ceiling and everyone gasped at the real colors (bright and gaudy, again!

) revealed. Those quoits are like those you posted on that old thread. What can I say? AWSOME!

celtan · 9th March 2009, 12:38 AM

Thanks Michael,

Your posts are invariably worth reading!

Best

Manuel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Matchlock muskets, ca. 1620-50, the second from top dated 1626, the fourth ca. 1650, a flintlock musket of ca. 1670 and the latest form of a matchlock, ca. 1700-20 - all at the Royal Army Museum Stockholm.

Please not the significant evolution of the butt stocks.

Michael

TVV · 9th March 2009, 08:17 AM

Michael, just wanted to say that I appreciate all the effort you put into the threads you start here. The information is outstanding and always makes a good read, even for people with somewhat different main interests, such as me.
Thank you!
Teodor

Matchlock · 9th March 2009, 05:46 PM

Thank you, Mark, Manuel and Teodor, for appreciating what I am trying to do.
Actually it took quite some time to rework the mostly pitch black images in order to make the items visible at all.

Thank you again, folks.

Michael

Jim McDougall · 9th March 2009, 06:01 PM

I would like to join in to thank Michael, not only for the constantly magnificent threads in which he has shared so many amazing historical weapons, but for this fascinating thread on the Vasa.

I have heard of this ship so many times, and always wondered what it would be like to see this wondrously preserved moment in time.....and now, with these images and thanks to Michael, I have seen it ! Though he notes the pictures are poor due to dim light, the effect to my eyes is quite contrary, and only adds to the incredible ambience of the almost ghostly appearance of the ship.

While the weapons are as noted, displayed 'in the style of' that shows the type of weapons used at the time, it is great to have the inside information that Michael has added. For visitors not focused on the study of weapons, such display is acceptable in degree as these add to the overall effect, but it is good to have the annotation for our purposes of detailed study.

The museum has overall done a monumental job of displaying this wonderful historical ship, and though I hope I might someday see it, the odds are that I wont, so thank you Michael, again! We are so incredibly lucky to have a personal tour guide like you

With all very best regards,
Jim

Matchlock · 9th March 2009, 07:24 PM

Hi Jim,

Thank you so much, too, for your kind words of praise - they actually made me blush.

Here are some interesting links, as well as better images found on the web:

http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...asaMuseum.aspx

http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...erve_Vasa.aspx

http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...asa_model.aspx

http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...ions/face.aspx

http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...salvaging.aspx

Enjoy, and thank you all,
Michael

Matchlock · 9th March 2009, 07:31 PM

More.

Matchlock · 9th March 2009, 08:40 PM

http://images.google.de/imgres?imgur...a%3DN%26um%3D1

Matchlock · 9th March 2009, 08:56 PM

Enjoy.

m

Matchlock · 9th March 2009, 08:57 PM

The rest.

8th March 2009, 07:36 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The Vasa Museum Stockholm Revisited The ship sank in 1628. As the light at the museum is very low many of the pics are quite poor. A note on the firearms: they were not recovered from the wreck but are on loan from the collections at the Livrustkammaren, the former Royal Arsenal. Sadly they are inappropriate pieces in that they were made 20-30 years after the ship had sunken. The matchlock musket is from the 1640's, the two wheel-lock pistols from the 1640's and 1650's respectively. Note the two incendiary quoits. Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 8th March 2009 at 07:56 PM.

8th March 2009, 07:39 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	More. Attached Images

8th March 2009, 07:45 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	More. Attached Images

8th March 2009, 07:50 PM	#4
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	More. Attached Images

8th March 2009, 07:55 PM	#5
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	More. Attached Images

8th March 2009, 08:22 PM	#6
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Differences Between Matchlocks and Wheel-Locks of ca. 1625 and the 1640's Once again the matchlock musket and wheel-lock pistols on display at the Vasa Museum, 1640's-50's, in comparison with samples of the 1620's-30 from the Army Museum Stockholm. While, amongst other details, the older muskets have broad fishtail butt stocks, the one on display at the Vasa Museum shows the more advanced rounded belly butt of the 1640's. After ca. 1650, the rounded form took over and the pronounced sides of the earlier years began to vanish. From ca. 1670 onward, the "modern" musket butt stock had reached its final form still featured on 21st century British shotguns. The wheel-lock pistols of ca. 1625-30 were shorter than those of the the late 1640`s-50's. Michael Attached Images

8th March 2009, 08:29 PM	#7
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Matchlock muskets, ca. 1620-50, the second from top dated 1626, the fourth ca. 1650, a flintlock musket of ca. 1670 and the latest form of a matchlock, ca. 1700-20 - all at the Royal Army Museum Stockholm. Please not the significant evolution of the butt stocks. Michael Attached Images

9th March 2009, 12:34 AM	#8
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,097	Michael- Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is a thread after my own heart. These days, I am completely obsessed with anything maritime/pirate/privateer, so it was a very refreshing moment to see this thread. I can't believe all of the pics you have so generously posted here for us! I have seen far less pics on most web sites and in my books! What an incredible wreck and salvage this was. Can't wait to someday see it in person. Especially the stern, with all its carved figures. The one pic showing the colored panel and how it must have looked like is a real eye-opener. So bright and (dare I say it) gaudy. You get used to seeing the drab colors of figure-heads and ocean salvage many centuries later and assume that the wood was left unpainted, but here we see the truth. It was like when they recently restored the Sistine Chapel's ceiling and everyone gasped at the real colors (bright and gaudy, again! ) revealed. Those quoits are like those you posted on that old thread. What can I say? AWSOME!

9th March 2009, 08:17 AM	#10
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,624	Michael, just wanted to say that I appreciate all the effort you put into the threads you start here. The information is outstanding and always makes a good read, even for people with somewhat different main interests, such as me. Thank you! Teodor

9th March 2009, 05:46 PM	#11
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Thank you, Mark, Manuel and Teodor, for appreciating what I am trying to do. Actually it took quite some time to rework the mostly pitch black images in order to make the items visible at all. Thank you again, folks. Michael

9th March 2009, 06:01 PM	#12
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,948	I would like to join in to thank Michael, not only for the constantly magnificent threads in which he has shared so many amazing historical weapons, but for this fascinating thread on the Vasa. I have heard of this ship so many times, and always wondered what it would be like to see this wondrously preserved moment in time.....and now, with these images and thanks to Michael, I have seen it ! Though he notes the pictures are poor due to dim light, the effect to my eyes is quite contrary, and only adds to the incredible ambience of the almost ghostly appearance of the ship. While the weapons are as noted, displayed 'in the style of' that shows the type of weapons used at the time, it is great to have the inside information that Michael has added. For visitors not focused on the study of weapons, such display is acceptable in degree as these add to the overall effect, but it is good to have the annotation for our purposes of detailed study. The museum has overall done a monumental job of displaying this wonderful historical ship, and though I hope I might someday see it, the odds are that I wont, so thank you Michael, again! We are so incredibly lucky to have a personal tour guide like you With all very best regards, Jim

9th March 2009, 07:24 PM	#13
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Jim, Thank you so much, too, for your kind words of praise - they actually made me blush. Here are some interesting links, as well as better images found on the web: http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...asaMuseum.aspx http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...erve_Vasa.aspx http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...asa_model.aspx http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...ions/face.aspx http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/co...salvaging.aspx Enjoy, and thank you all, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 9th March 2009 at 07:37 PM.

9th March 2009, 07:31 PM	#14
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	More. Attached Images

9th March 2009, 08:40 PM	#15
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The Salvaging and Restoration Processes http://images.google.de/imgres?imgur...a%3DN%26um%3D1

9th March 2009, 08:56 PM	#16
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	More from the Salvage and Restoration Enjoy. m Attached Images

9th March 2009, 08:57 PM	#17
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The rest. Attached Images