The Nightingale was built as an exhibit at the World's Fair in London (The Great Exhibition), to which she was to carry passengers. As such, she was fitted out with very extravagant items, one of which was her figurehead (a carving set at the prow of a sailing ship).
Her original name was to be Sarah Cowles was exchanged for that of Nightingale, in honor of Jenny Lind, "The Swedish Nightingale" who was touring the United States at the time. The Nightingale had a Jenny Lind figurehead.
The Nightingale's Jenny Lind figurehead ended up in the hands of a Swedish antiques dealer in 1994. He has spent 13 years researching its history.
He discovered that the Nightingale had undergone repairs in Norway in 1885 during which time the figurehead was removed. He found out that the farm's owner where he found it had a relative who had bought the "scarecrow" while on a trip to Norway.
The figurehead of the Nightingale and the Great Republic are the only two known surviving figureheads from extreme clipper ships.
So, One More Thing of Interest About This Ship. --Old B-Runner
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