So, it turns out our beloved Victory may have been painted the wrong shade of colour for all this time. The huge restoration that she is currently undergoing has revealed old layers of paint that are a pale ochre shade, rather than the orangey shade that you see today. Not particularly earth-shattering, but an important discovery nonetheless.
Now, as usual, when the newspapers heard of this, the reaction was pretty extreme, with one going as far to say that Nelson 'would be livid'. I think that's silly. As people of the present who have no photos of the Victory as she was at Trafalgar, it is no surprise that we make the odd mistake. But we hunt, we challenge, we discover, and we change accordingly, and we never rest satisfied until we are sure we have it right. And then the process starts again. Historians are never going to be out of work, that's for sure!
I assume the Victory will be repainted. If so, it may be a slight shock to the system when I round the corner at the Historic Dockyard, to find her not looking so brightly painted! But I have no doubt that she would look absolutely magnificent either way.
Now, as usual, when the newspapers heard of this, the reaction was pretty extreme, with one going as far to say that Nelson 'would be livid'. I think that's silly. As people of the present who have no photos of the Victory as she was at Trafalgar, it is no surprise that we make the odd mistake. But we hunt, we challenge, we discover, and we change accordingly, and we never rest satisfied until we are sure we have it right. And then the process starts again. Historians are never going to be out of work, that's for sure!
I assume the Victory will be repainted. If so, it may be a slight shock to the system when I round the corner at the Historic Dockyard, to find her not looking so brightly painted! But I have no doubt that she would look absolutely magnificent either way.