Philip Warren is an English ship model maker who is known for building a matchstick Maritime Fleet over 70 years, including over 500 vessels and 1000 aircraft, and all the Royal Navy ships since 1945.
Life and work
Philip Warren was born in Dorset, England, and was a director of a stationery wholesale company before his retirement. He started building models of naval boats at the age of 17 due to a fascination with ships. Like many children of his era, his interest in warships came about due to going through childhood during World War 2.
When he first began model making, he used balsa wood to make models. He switched to matchsticks because he found that material more suitable for static waterline warship models, and because matches were common. His models are hand-built and are made in 1/300th of the scale, using only a few building materials, including matchboxes, matchsticks, a razor blade, and glue. Completing his models requires him looking at photographs, drawings, and plans of real ships. His largest model is 1m (3ft) long.
When Warren began matchstick model making, matchboxes were easy to get a hold of, but in recent years, he has relied on donations to keep up with his work. He has continued model making into his 90s.
Models
Philip Warren's earliest model was the Royal Navy's HMS Scorpion, which was less detailed compared to later models. Following its completion, he built a different destroyer, a battleship, a cruiser, and later an aircraft carrier. As the years passed, his attention to detail and accuracy improved, making models with many moving parts, including missile launchers, radars, gun turrets, swing wings, and helicopter rotors. His collection of models includes 500 vessels and 1000 aircraft from the very last World War 2 battleships to nuclear-powered submarines and modern aircraft carriers.
In his over 70 years of model making, he built one or more of each class of Royal Navy ships from 1945 to the present day, including 7 Leander class frigates. In addition, he has also built Commonwealth ships. Also, Warren has constructed 60 US ships so far, including four giant supercarriers, two battleships, and various cruisers, demonstrating the evolution of vessels that contained guns to those with missiles. Additionally, he built around 50 ships from various Navies of other nations.
His aircraft models span from older aircraft, such as the Swordfish, to modern supersonic jets. Warren's model of the HMS Queen Elizabeth was completed before the original.
It can take Warren over a year to finish a model. He very rarely gets rid of models and has never made money from his hobby, despite being told by numerous museum curators that his models have considerable value. His models have not been built in historical sequence but preserved so well that it's difficult to tell which models are older. Warren’s ships take him approximately 1,500 matches to build. Adam Aspinall from The Mirror states, “Each vessel is correct to the tiniest detail.” In 1989, Philip gave the United Kingdom's Prince Andrew a model of the frigate Campbeltown. Trend Hunter named Warren the “Hobby King of Hobbydom” due to having built models of all of Britain's warships since the end of the Second World War.
Exhibits and Recognition
Various museums and charities have displayed Philip Warren's work, including The National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Fleet Air Arm Museum, and Nothe Fort. The Duke of Gloucester honored him with a glass trophy for his service to the Northe Fort community for his yearly display of his matchstick fleet.
Personal life
Philip Warren was married to his wife Anita for 47 years until her death.
References
- ^ Cooper, Tim (2023-09-01). "Remarkable model navy fleet made from over a million matchsticks looking for new home". www.forcesnews.com. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- ^ (2024, October 26). "Matchstick Fleet by Phillip Warren." The National Museum of The Royal Navy.
- ^ "Sticking power got me a fleet of tiny warships". Metro. 2013-08-18. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- ^ "Matchstick Fleet by Philip Warren". Radio Ninesprings. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- ^ "Meet The Man Who's Spent 70 YEARS Making A Matchstick Royal Navy." BFBS Forces News.
- ^ "Sticking power got me a fleet of tiny warships". Metro. 2013-08-18. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- ^ Rudgard, Olivia (2021-08-22). "Matchstick maestro adds to his model fleet thanks to Telegraph readers' generosity". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Aspinall, Adam (2018-06-12). "Master modeller makes fleet of 484 warships from one million matchsticks". The Mirror. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Information, Weymouth Tourist (2021-08-03). "Philip Warren's Matchstick Fleet - Love Weymouth Tourist Information & Events Guide". Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- ^ (2012, March 12). "The Internet Craftsmanship Museum Presents: Philip Warren The Matchstick Fleet." The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum.
- ^ (2023, November 06). "Philip Warren Making a Matchstick Fleet." The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum.
- "Dorset man creates 1,600 matchstick models in 62 years". BBC News. 2010-08-27. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- ^ (2010, August 30). "Master Modeller Builds Unique Matchstick Armada." Oddity Central.
- Samyuktha (2010-08-26). "Brit craftsman uses matchsticks to make ship fleet!". One India. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Young, Meghan (2010, October 22). "Philip Warren has Replicated Every British Warship Since WWII." Trend Hunter.
- (2023, October 21). "Matchstick Fleet by Philip Warren 2023." Somerset Council.
- ^ "Pictures and video: Royal recognition for matchstick model maker". Dorset Echo. 2018-06-09. Retrieved 2024-12-29.