HMS Leander was launched from the Portsmouth Dock-yard on the 8th March 1848.
She served in the Crimea before being converted to a screw frigate in 1861 and sold in 1967.
Her figurehead was carved by the Famous family of ships carvers the Hellyer’s of Portsmouth and Cosham.
At some point in the 1960’s the figure, along with many others in the Navy’s collection, were coated with a protective fibreglass layer. Although this ‘softened’ much of the crisp detail of the original carving, it did at least preserve the basic form of many figures that would otherwise have perished.
Maritima were commissioned by the Royal Navy to carry out remedial work to maintain the condition of the figure, which included the removal of failed resin coating to the head, thus revealing the original carving beneath
