That doesn't mean they were stupid or didn't have intimate knowledge of their craft.
In those days, models were built by the designers which were then given to the craftsmen to build. There's a museum in England which houses the ship models built by the naval architects to give to the ship builders. The models are exquisite.
And the technology of communicating to these craftsmen and artisans is another subject itself .. here in Vienna, we also have museums devoted to such things. I find it really fascinating personally.
Can you provide a link of which museum you're talking about specifically?
Just in case someone reading this happens to be living in Vienna... ;)
I'm also a big fan of the Deutsches Museum in Munich:
A bummer the Space pavilion is closed at the moment though. Definitely better to plan a visit to Munich when that re-opens again.