The Éclaireur

Toulon

1st-class aviso (1877-1902)

Launched by the Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée in La Seyne-sur-Mer inn 1877, the Éclaireur was a modern, innovative vessel, a symbol of French industrialisation.

The model

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Model of the Éclaireur, detail of the steam engine © Musée national de la Marine / A. Fux

The model makers cut a section of the vessel’s hull open on purpose. Beneath its overlapping timbers, a steel mesh is set against the ship’s framework, strengthening its resistance to explosive shells. Its streamlined hull, along with its engine, made it one of the fastest ships in the French fleet. Its speed was one of its weapons, as the vessel’s prow was armed with a metal ram capable of piercing an enemy ship’s hull.

This model, a true objet d’art, acted as a catalogue designed to show off Forges et Chantiers de Méditerranée’s ingenuity and technological prowess. It fulfilled its purpose so well that it was sent to Paris to take part in the 1878 Universal Exhibition. Its presentation resulted in Forges et Chantiers de Méditerranée being included on the Roll of Honour once again.

The Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée

They created this highly detailed construction model. Such items were designed to present and highlight the ingenuity and technological innovation that the Var shipyard had been known for since 1855.

In 1869, the shipyard’s management was taken over by Henri Dupuy de Lôme, a military engineer of real genius and father of the Gloire, the world’s first armoured frigate. He designed ships adapted to the changing world, a world where wood and steel rubbed shoulders and steam was replacing wind.

Collection highlight

The essential works to see during your visit to the Musée national de la Marine in Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort, Toulon, and soon in Paris.