Louis XIV
' galley
Advertising leaflet in French (.pdf)
La Fleur
de Lis
1690
Gérard DELACROIX
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For over 3,000 years,
galleys sailed throughout European waters in various shapes and
under different names, from the sun-drenched Mediterranean to the
mists of the Baltic Sea. Originally a commercial vessel, the galley
was soon transformed into a war ship in the ancient world and
reached the zenith of its technical development in the 17th
century, before disappearing in France during the 1750s.
The somewhat mysterious construction and fitting-out of these
formidable ships have always fascinated students of early maritime
history. Although galleys were often considered to be simply built
ships, by the end of the 17th century the galley had
inherited extremely complex and refined architectural lines, much
more so, in fact, than other vessels with which it co-existed.
The evolution of the galley, whose history spans thirty centuries,
allowed it to develop and refine a structure that had to consolidate
strength, lightweight, and performance. These features required
novel and original solutions that have rarely been described and
have never been systematically illustrated.
With approximately 230 plates drawn to perspective,
this study offers a minute account of how a galley was built in the
1690s, from the drawing board to the launching of the ship. The text
describes the various stages of construction in detail, including
provisions for stowage and rigging. The study also includes a
description of rowing techniques and procedures that were directly
related to aspects of building or equipping the ship. The commentary
on the 26 plates (drawn to 1:48 scale) explicates the drawings of
the different components or assemblies that were required to build,
equip, and rig a 26-bench galley. The plates include a drawing of
the framework of the entire ship, which will allow the ship’s model
builder to complete his model with completely accurate proportions.
In conclusion, nearly fifty colour photographs of a ship’s model in
various stages of completion illustrate this extensive 240 page
study whose table of contents is as follows:
Book in French
Summary of the
240 page booklet:
LES
GALERES DE LOUIS XIV
Généralités
Rappels sur
l'histoire des galères
Considérations générales
Sources et bibliographie
Description des principales parties d'une
galère
La théorie de la
conception et sa mise en pratique
Proportions
d'une galère des années 1690
Les gabarits et leur utilisation
La construction
La charpente longitudinale
Le chantier
Fabrication et assemblage des membres
Revêtement
intérieur et charpente de la couverte
Revêtement extérieur de la coque et de la
couverte
Le talar et les rais de coursier
La rambade et les conilles
L'éperon et le tambouret
L'espace pour la vogue.
Les cavalets et le fougon
Les dispositions de la poupe
Décorations
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Équipements de la
galère
Les rames
L'artillerie et les armes
Les ancres ou fers et les câbles
Le timon et l'ourgeau
Les embarcations
Le retranchement de proue
Lancement, calfatage, peinture et espalmage
Aménagements de la cale
Lest et arrimage
L'art de la vogue
La mature, arbres et antennes
Le gréement des galères vers 1690
Les voiles
Gréement (arbres, antennes et voiles)
Les tentes et pavillons
Les hommes de la galère
MONOGRAPHIE DE "LA FLEUR DE LIS"
Commentaires des 26 planches
Devis des bois
Photographies d'un modèle en cours de réalisation
Lexique |