Little Egg Harbor resident Peter Papa has been perfecting his craft for 70 years, and has seen the fruits of his labor recognized. His model ships are on display in museums, galleries, and homes of presidents, military officials and veterans.

Model making “teaches about all of life’s attributes,” he said. In his years spent painstakingly painting thousands of individual pieces and assembling ships up to 8 feet long, he’s learned not only important history, but life lessons.