Lot 208
Robert Howlett (1831-1858)
Three photographs of the Great Eastern, 1857
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 07 February 2024 from 10:00 GMT
Description
albumen prints, mounted, comprising:
Starboard elevation from mid-Thames, 17 November 1857, 21.5 x 33cm, mount aperture 20.8 x 26.8, extensive loss to left edge (mostly concealed by mount) [V&A PH.248-1979];
Bow-on view, c.1857, 24.8 x 29cm, mount aperture 23.8 x 25cm, loss to left edge (mostly concealed by mount) [V&A PH.250-1979];
Workers (man and boy) beneath the paddle-wheel, 27.5 x 35.5cm, loss to left edge [V&A PH.257-1979]
(3)
Footnote
Robert Howlett’s iconic images of the construction of the Great Eastern are remembered as ‘some of the most significant photographs of the 19th century’ (Hannavy, Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography, 2008, vol. 1, pp. 717-18). The Great Eastern was by far the largest ship ever built at the time, and remained so when she was scrapped in 1888. Though an unprecedented marvel of engineering, the project was a financial disaster. Brunel died a few days after her departure on its maiden voyage in 1859. Howlett himself had died the previous year, his colleagues believing that his untimely death had been brought about by the chemicals used in his photographic work; his Great Eastern series is today regarded as ‘epitomizing the spirit of Victorian engineering and endeavour’ (ODNB).