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The Queen Victoria bell, newly cast by Dick Fisher in 2007. The intricate detail was a challenge to replicate faithfully. 
Pouring the molten bronze into the bell mold. 
Removing the bell from the mold, after it has cooled. |
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The Queen Victoria Bell ProjectOne interesting project we completed in 2007 was the replica casting of the Queen Victoria bell. Our town of Prospect Harbor possesses the original bell from the Canadian steamer, Queen Victoria. This ship, commissioned in 1856, hosted the first meeting of delegates in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island, Canada, which led to the Canadian Federation. In 1858, the same ship foundered in a hurricane off Cape Hatteras. A ship from Prospect Harbor, the Ponvert, was in the same area and rescued the crew. Before abandoning the sinking vessel, the crew removed the bell and presented it to Captain Rufus Allen of the Ponvert in gratitude. This episode is particularly interesting because the Ponvert was also built in our town, and the captain's home was not half a mile from where our foundry is today. Captain Allen later gave the bell to the town, where it was used in the one-room schoolhouse until 1954, when the school was replaced. During the Canadian Centennial in 1967, there was interest in having the bell returned to Canada. However the people of our town wished to retain the bell because of its considerable historical significance here. Eventually, citizens from the community asked me to cast a replica to be presented to the people of Charlottetown. This was a challenging project, because there was some intricate engraving detail on the bell that needed to be faithfully reproduced. I spent many months learning about rubber molds to cast the wax duplicate, investing the wax in a ceramic shell mold, firing the shell to burn out the wax, and finally pouring the bronze casting. Eventually, we were able to present a satisfactory replica in 2007 which had the distinction of having been cast in the same town that had been the home of the Ponvert. It was exciting for us to become associated with the history of this bell. The replica is now in Confederation Landing Park in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The original will be installed in the new Peninsula School being built in Prospect Harbor, Maine, USA. |
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The Queen Victoria bell original on left, the newly cast replica on the right. |
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The Queen Victoria bell replica mounted on an ironwork stand, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. |
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U.S. Bells - Richard Fisher
P.O. Box 73, Prospect Harbor, ME 04669 |
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207-963-7184