USS Birmingham – New Model by Bill Emerson
Military History Society of Rochester
250 N Goodman St., 2nd Floor
Dec 2, 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm

The USS Birmingham, a U.S. scout cruiser, was commissioned in 1908. At 423 ft. in length she had a top speed of 24 knots. On 14 November 1910, the U.S. Navy conducted an experiment off of Norfolk, Virginia. Eugene Ely, a civilian pilot agreed to try a takeoff from the Birmingham. This first ever takeoff from a ship has been expertly captured by Bill Emerson of Rochester, a master ship modeler, who has many examples of his work in major museums around the country, including the USS Langley at the Smithsonian Institution. This model is 4 feet 6 inches in length and beautifully detailed. Bill will be attendance to discuss his model and its construction.