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Author Topic: Confederate Naval Museum  (Read 3659 times)

Steve Phillips

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Confederate Naval Museum
« on: March 16, 2014, 10:23:10 AM »
My wife and I went to what was named Confederate Naval Museum in Columbus Georgia. It is now named National Naval Museum to be politically correct. It is a huge building and has some really good stuff but I am very disappointed in all the fake items in the museum. Fake cannons, spar torpedo, slave tags, fuzes and many other items. I don't think any fake, replica, reproduction or any other form of forgery should be in a quality museum. Either you have the real stuff or you don't. Forgeries are a big enough problem without museums being the forgers.

CarlS

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Re: Confederate Naval Museum
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2014, 02:17:29 PM »
Interesting.  I had not heard they renamed it.  I did hear they were having financial challenges so maybe it was to expand their scope and in the long run attract more paying visitors.  I hope it doesn't become one of those museums that only has a handful of relics and lots of pictures and maps hanging on the wall.  To me a museum should house relics.  Webster's Dictionary seems to agree:
   a building in which interesting and valuable things (such as paintings and sculptures or scientific or historical objects) are collected and shown to the public
Otherwise it is just a library with a focused collection of  materials.
Best,
Carl

emike123

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Re: Confederate Naval Museum
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2014, 03:40:33 PM »
I have wanted to get down there, but never have.  When serious enthusiasts can't make it down there, that's a clue to the challenge they face.   It is a shame they are apparently financially strapped and at risk of losing their way.  The name change is yet another indication of this, and I think they have a relatively new boss who came up the living history side of the business (no offense PIA!) so maybe the emphasis is away from what we here prefer and they are betting that will attract more folks than there are of us.  I know they have some big fiberglass cannons from a movie set which purists would say they should sell off with the other props -- I think there is a step by step write-up on making their repro keg torpedo on the web -- and plow the money back into maintaining and displaying the real stuff (maybe with less space to heat/cool, light and maintain too).  Considering how many outstanding relics they have gotten for free over the years, its a shame these can't be made into the major focus.

Jim T

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Re: Confederate Naval Museum
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2014, 09:00:15 PM »
Dean and I were in Columbia, SC, for 4 days and at least the "Relic Room" is still named the "SC Confederate Relic Room Museum."  Saw some great stuff...not much ordnance though.  Did see a pretty Morse carbine and lots of CS flags and got to "go into the back" and thumb through the McRea papers.