Maritime Half Hull Ship Models and Nautical Art

The polar ship ”Fram” is the strongest vessel in the world, and the one sea-going vessel that has been the farthest both to the north and the south.

”Fram” was launched in 1892, and was built by the famous ship constructor, Colin Archer from Larvik.  Fridtjof Nansen got in touch with Archer in 1890, because he wanted to build a ship that would withstand the rough ice conditions on its way to the north pole. Archer constructed ”Fram” so that it wouldn’t break as a result of the ice pressing together. ”Fram” was built as a three masted schooner powered by a steam engine. Otto Sverdrup was ship inspector and came up with the idea on how to rig the ship.

Already on its first expedition with Nansen, the ship demonstrates its capabilities in the ice. Where other ships had been smashed to pieces, ”Fram” was pushed on top of the ice.


The vessel came through with flying colours, and was back in Norway again in 1896. Two years later it heads out on yet another expedition, this time with Otto Sverdrup as leader. ”Fram” was refitted for Amundsens journey towards the north pole, the destination surprisingly turned out to be the south pole, instead. The ship was rebuilt and a brand new diesel engine was installed.

Once again ”Fram” withstands the strains and hardships of the polar oceans, and the vessel safely carries Roald Amundsen and his successful crew to the Antarctic and back again.

During World War 1, ”Fram” was lying unattended, decaying.

At the end of the 1920’s, people who cared about the ship, started to take action in order to restore ”Fram” to its original condition and have it placed in a ”house of its own”. Key persons in this work, were Lars Christensen, Otto Sverdrup and Oscar Wisting. In 1935, ”Fram” was towed to its own house on Bygdøy, outside Oslo. After toilsome work, ”Fram” is safely placed on land, to be  seen and respected for generations after generations.