“Mobilis in Mobile” - Voyage to the Deep

Voyage to the Deep is a new exhibit at the Reading Public Museum by Flying Fish Exhibits. The Voyage to the Deep exhibit is a take on Jules Vern's Twenty Thousand Legues Under the Sea and the Nautilus submarine.

“With its untold depths, couldn't the sea keep alive such huge specimens of life from another age, this sea that never changes while the land masses undergo almost continuous alteration? Couldn't the heart of the ocean hide the last–remaining varieties of these titanic species, for whom years are centuries and centuries millennia?”

Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

The Nautilus

Here is another rendition of Captain Nemo’s Nautilus. This version as depicted in the movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a bit more fanciful than the one rendered in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

I suppose I could have gotten some better screenshots of this craft. Better luck next time.

The Motto of the "Nautilus"

I have just completed my reading of the third book of Verne’s The Mysterious Island. I have read through this volume once before, but came upon the third part of this novel entitled the Secret of the Island. Assuming that it was a take-off from the Mysterious Island I downloaded it and read through it. It is actually the third part of Verne’s The Mysterious Island.

"Mobilis in mobile." (Moving in a moving thing). The Nautilus is the name of Captain's Nemo's submarine.

Chapter 19, The Mysterious Island, Jules Verne

Pegasus Nautilus model - completed buildup!

I have been attempted, but I still do not see myself purchasing a copy of this model.

Jules Verne’s Voyages Extraordinaires that Have a Sequel

As far as my readings of Jules Verne have taken me these are the only sets of sequels that I know of. I would be happy to find out otherwise…

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea
Mysterious Island

These tales include the mention of Captain Nemo and his Nautilus submarine.

Robur the Conqueror
The Master of the World

These tales are about embittered engineers and their airships. I found The Master of the World better reading than Robur the Conqueror. Robur the Conqueror really didn’t have too much of a plot.

A Fanciful Nautilus Design

When Jules Verne wrote his Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, he envisioned his nautilus in a rather conical design, it sort of resembled are large cigar. Not a very fanciful design at all. Disney came along and redesigned the Nautilus and gave it Victorian aspect. Although many have taken to envisioning what the Nautilus could have looked like. Some of the designs were rather fanciful like Disney’s, however the Disney design became one of the most popular. You might have seen miniatures, and scale models using this very design.

However, there is Nautilus design in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen that is even more fanciful than all others. It is big and ominous. It sports an orange livery and features several, what look like tentacles like a squid or octopus have. These tentacles do not seem to have any purpose except to give the vessel a frightful appearance. In addition, there is coat of arms of Captain Nemo, or should I say Prince Dakkar on the submarines conning tower and the vessel spouts water like a whale would from its blow hole.

There are more than a Few Reasons the British should (if they haven’t already) build a Submarine like the Lusca

The first reason for the British to build a submarine is to catch Captain Nemo, while he is under the sea. The mechanical tentacles could be maneuvered to catch and put a hold on the unsuspecting Nautilus

A vessel like the Lusca could also be brought into play against other enemies of the realm. The physiological effect on Britain’s enemies would be great. Think of the terror the vessel like this would stir among the crew from a vessel being attacked by what looks like a giant squid?

Captain Nemo's 'Seafood & Saltwater Salvage Rail Road

According to Chris Walas Captain Nemo has survived, got to some deserted island and is now the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Nemo's 'Seafood & Saltwater Salvage Rail Road.

The engine is a refit of Nemo’s Nautilus. There is tank car with sea monsters, a flat car with the catch of the day, a gondola filled with refuge that looks like it might have come from the Nautilus. Bringing up the rear, in the barrel, is a catch of a lifetime, a mermaid in all of her glory.

The Catalog of Nautilus Designs

Throughout the years since Jules Verne wrote 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, men have tried to envision what Verne’s Nautilus may have looked like. Many have gone to the drawing board and have made sketches for the Nautilus. Here are a few designs of the Nautilus that have become known throughout the years.

Make sure to visit some of the links on this page for other images and detailed views of these designs.

I am rather partial to Disney’s version of the Nautilus. What version, if any, are you partial?

In the Search for a Nautilus Submarine Model

Pegasus Hobbies Nautilus model isn't the only model of its sort. Many of models listed on the Jules Verne Nautilus Models page are replicas of Disney’s Nautilus submarine like the one being offered by Pegasus Hobbies. The trouble is not in the finding of such models, but the locating a purchasable copy of such.

The Pegasus Hobbies Nautilus Submarine Kit is now Available

Well folks, here it is, the Pegasus Hobbies Nautilus Submarine Kit. I was kind of hoping that it would be a bit more economical, but alas here you have it.

Creative Pirates Cove Paper Project

I was going through my collection of Bookmarks the other day and came across a couple of links to the Pirates Cove(scroll down towards the bottom of the page) project. Everything you see here, in this fantastic miniature layout, with the exception of the track and wheels, is made of paper and Strathmore board.

Gnatterbox, a forum of Gn15 modelers, sponsored a competition for small layouts built primarily from paper. This layout, built by Chris Walas, won the competition. You can see the wealth of detail for yourself and we can assume that a lot of creative and skillful effort went into this project.
The diorama has so much detail, like a couple of huts, a train that is used to deliver supplies to the Nautilus, a trolley to bring people to the sub, an aeroplane, with what looks a like a bomb, several figures in various poses, and various other bits of scenery.

I have spent some time studying the images of this layout and still find something new each time that I study it. This layout is awe inspiring and makes me want to start my own paper project. I won’t be so foolish to assume that I have the necessary skills to complete something with the magnitude, but perhaps something less daunting like a small structure. I could bring all my knowledge that I have gained from my readings of the techniques that others have used. If the project doesn't go as planned I will have learned something and gained a bit of experience in the process.

Click here for other views of the layout and here to view some additional images of the project as it was being built, along with some commentary by the author.

Will Pegasus Models be Reissuing their Nautilus Submarine?

There still is no word about when Pegasus Hobbies is planning on re-releasing their Nautilus Submarine. The Nautilus Submarine was featured on page 3 of their 2011-12 catalog. The model is listed as being in 1/144 scale.

This particular model seems to be modeled after the Disney World’s Nautilus Submarine. I have long wanted to obtain a kit of Jules Verne’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” Nautilus.

As a boy I remember having read Verne’s novel and not too long afterward having the opportunity to ride in the Nautilus Submarine while visiting my father in Florida. I don’t know what I was expecting, but having read the book, I remember the attraction being a letdown.

A Steampunk Submarine that is Created out of Paper

While browsing the Paper Model Forum I came across some images of a Steampunk submarine. The images are primarily of the submarine; however there is one image at the end of post of the model during the construction of a diorama that it was part of. The model that resembles the Nautilus is made from scrap cardboard and some #110 card.

The Nautilus, of course, was submarine written about in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, and again, briefly in his Mysterious Island.