Shipping Industry Collection (#23)

Statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps, Port Said, Egypt, c1920s-c1930s(?). A French diplomat and entrepreneur, de Lesseps (1805-1894)

RMS Atlantis, Valetta, Malta, c1929-c1939. Previously a liner named Andes, the Atlantis was converted into a cruise ship and renamed by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in 1929

The Pool of London, 1924-1926. Artist: FP Dickinson
The Pool of London, 1924-1926. The Pool, just below London Bridge. A print from Hutchinsons Britain Beautiful, edited by Walter Hutchinson, volume III, 1924-1926

Loading cotton onto a ship, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, c1900s. Published by The Acmegraph Co. (Chicago)

The shipping of mules, Syros Island, Greece, 1937. Artist: Martin Hurlimann
The shipping of mules, Syros Island, Greece, 1937. Illustration from Das Mittelmeer: Landschaft, Baukunst und Volksleben im Kreise des Mittellandischen Meeres, a work on Mediterranean architecture

Ferdinand de Lesseps, 19th century French diplomat and entrepreneur, (1900). De Lesseps (1805-1894) built the Suez Canal to enable shipping to pass between the Mediterranean

Map of Liverpool, Merseyside, 1903. Artist: John Walker
Map of Liverpool, Merseyside, 1903. Inset is a photograph of a Liverpool dock

The Comet, c1812, (c1880). Henry Bells steam boat Comet, 40ft long (12.19m), powered by a 3hp Boulton & Watt engine, was the first successful steam boat in Europe

Samuel Plimsoll, British politician and social reformer, c1880. Artist: Moritz Klinkicht
Samuel Plimsoll, British politician and social reformer, c1880. Known popularly as the sailors friend because of his championing of sailors interests

Sir Edward James Harland, British shipbuilder, c1880. In 1855, Harland (1831-1896) went to Belfast as manager of the then small shipyard. He went on to build the famous White Star liners

Shipyards and shipping on the Clyde, c1880. Artist: V Dutertre
Shipyards and shipping on the Clyde, c1880. A print from Great Industries of Great Britain, Volume I, published by Cassell Petter and Galpin, (London, Paris, New York, c1880)

Ships of the Hanseatic League of the 14th and 15th century, (1903). Artist: Willy Stower
Ships of the Hanseatic League of the 14th and 15th century, (1903). 1 and 3: Cologne ships of the year 1400; 2: Wisnar ship; 4: Lubeck ship; 5: Danzig ship; 6: Elbing ship

Melbourne from the Yarra, Victoria, Australia, 1886. Artist: Frederic B Schell
Melbourne from the Yarra, Victoria, Australia, 1886. The Yarra River is the river on which the city of Melbourne was founded, Wood engraving from Picturesque Atlas of Australasia, Vol I

Port of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1886. Artist: W Mollier
Port of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1886. Wood engraving from Picturesque Atlas of Australasia, Vol I, by Andrew Garran, illustrated under the supervision of Frederic B Schell

Loading coal at Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Artist: WC Fitler
Loading coal at Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. The port of Newcastle remains the economic and trade centre for the resource rich Hunter Valley

Circular Quay, west side, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Artist: Frederic B Schell
Circular Quay, west side, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney

Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Artist: J Hellawell
Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney

Darling harbour, from Pyrmont, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Artist: Frederic B Schell
Darling harbour, from Pyrmont, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Darling Harbour is a locality of Sydney. Wood engraving from Picturesque Atlas of Australasia, Vol I, by Andrew Garran

Shipping, Circular Quay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Artist: JR Ashton
Shipping, Circular Quay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney

The end of the strike by dock workers at the port of Marseilles, France, 1904. An illustration from Le Petit Journal, 23rd October 1904

Buenos Aires docks, Argentina, c1900s. Stereoscopic card. Detail

The Tyne, 1901. Artist: EW Ashworth
The Tyne, 1901. Photo published in The Process Year Book, by AW Penrose & Co, London, 1901

The Loading Of The Atlantic And Baltic Boats, c1860s. Soldiers and supplies sailing from New York. Illustration from Adventures of America, 1857-1900, by John A Kouwenhoven

Ocean liner RMS Lusitania, 20th century. Launched in 1906, the Lusitania was built for the Cunard Steamship Line by John Brown & Co on the Clyde

Ocean liner RMS Mauretania, 20th century. The Mauretania was built for the Cunard Line by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend on the Tyne

Ocean liner RMS Aquitania, 20th century.The Aquitania was built by John Brown and Company on the Clyde for the Cunard Line

The Bosporus or Bosphorus, 1615. Artist: Leonard Gaultier
The Bosporus or Bosphorus, 1615. A plate from Les Images Ou Tableaux De Platte Peinture Des Deux Philostrates Sophistes Grecs, by Blaise de Vigenere, Paris, 1615

The Seine River at Rohen, c1898-1942. Artist: Narcisse Guilbert
The Seine River at Rohen, c1898-1942. The Seine is a major river of north-western France, and one of its commercial waterways

Marseille Quay, 1929. Artist: Emile Bernard
Marseille Quay, 1929

The Harbour of Bordeaux, 1874. Artist: Eugene Louis Boudin
The Harbour of Bordeaux, 1874. From the Musee d Orsay, Paris

The Port of Genes, 1878. Artist: JL Gennato
The Port of Genes, 1878. From a private collection

Henry Bells steam boat Comet of 1811, (1856). The Comet, 40ft long (12.19m), powered by a 3hp Boulton & Watt engine, was the first successful steam boat in Europe

The Wear above Sunderland Iron Bridge, c1829. Artist: R Francis
The Wear above Sunderland Iron Bridge, c1829. The Wear was an important waterway for exporting the coal and chemical and industrial products of the area

Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, from above the bridge, c1795. Artist: Samuel Ireland
Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, from above the bridge, c1795. On the left, where many masts are shown, is the entrance to the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal

Stone arched bridge across the Tyne at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, c1830. Artist: R Francis
Stone arched bridge across the Tyne at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, c1830. Below the bridge is the harbour area and the masts of moored ships can be seen

View of Sunderland and the Iron Bridge looking eastwards, 1833. This single span cast iron bridge over the Wear at Wearmouth, Sunderland, was opened in 1796

Bristol from Rownham Ferry, 1841. This picture shows the locks leading into the docks from the tidal river Severn. Shipping is moored in the docks and which are surrounded by warehouses

Packing tea in the warehouses of the East & West India Dock Company, London, 1874. Refilling tea chests after bulking (remixing after the journey as smaller leaves)

Bulking tea in the warehouses of the East & West India Dock Company, London, 1874. Bulking was a process necessary especially with Indian tea

Dockers unloading sugar at West India Docks, London, 1889. Each docker wheels a trolley carrying a single sack which is recorded and marked

Dockers unloading tea in London Docks, 1889

Unloading frozen meat from Australia, South West India Dock, Millwall, London, 1881. Interior of the hold of the Catania, which sailed on 28 August from Sydney with nearly 120 tons of meat

The Railway at Balaklava, 1855-1856. Artist: William Simpson
The Railway at Balaklava, 1855-1856. Unloading supplies from shipping in Balaklava harbour, Crimea. From Illustrations of the War in the East by William Simpson. (London, 1855-1856)

PSS Great Eastern on the ocean, 1858. Colour print after a painting by Edwin Weedon. This steamship, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel with John Scott Russell

West India Docks, London, 1808-1810. Artist: Augustus Charles Pugin
West India Docks, London, 1808-1810. The docks were built in 1799-1802. The chief engineer was William Jessop, and the warehouses were built by George Gwilt (1746-1807)

Two East Indiamen off a Coast, Thomas Whitcombe, c1850. Artist: Thomas Whitcombe
Two East Indiamen off a Coast, Thomas Whitcombe, c1850. At this time the East India Company still governed India. The company was founded in 1600 to challenge the Dutch

Coastal Harbour. Calm, c1763. Artist: Claude-Joseph Vernet
Coastal Harbour. Calm, c1763. Vernet, Claude Joseph (1714-1789). Found in the collection of the State A. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow

The Grand Saloon on board the Great Eastern, 1859. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel with John Scott Russell, the Great Eastern was lauched in 1858

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The shipping industry has a rich history that spans across continents and centuries. From the majestic S. S Etruria, sailing from New York to Liverpool in November 1890, to the Cunard Line's Ivernia off New Brighton in 1910, these vessels were not just means of transportation but symbols of human ingenuity and exploration. In Hamburg, Germany, Europe, a container ship gracefully glides along the River Elbe. This modern marvel represents the evolution of shipping technology and its vital role in global trade. Meanwhile, a glimpse into history takes us back to 1912 when passengers aboard the Titanic enjoyed a sumptuous dinner with their second-class menu. The Queen Mary stands tall at Clydebank, Glasgow in 1934 - an iconic Cunard liner that captured hearts with its grandeur and elegance. Centuries earlier in London's Lloyds Coffee House of 1798 (depicted in 1947), maritime insurance was born as merchants gathered to discuss risks associated with sea voyages. As we fast forward to 1936, we witness the magnificent Berengaria approaching Cunard pier - another testament to engineering prowess and luxury travel. However, even before these giants graced our oceans, there was Great Eastern on the stocks at Millwall on the Thames in 1857 - an ambitious project ahead of its time. Art also captures moments within this industry's narrative; John Wood Approaching Bombay by Joseph Heard showcases both beauty and adventure as ships sailed through exotic waters around c1850. And let us not forget how ports like Antwerp were bustling hubs for trade as early as1520. Lastly, we delve into artistic representations such as Steamship La Champagne from French Line's Ocean and River Steamers series (N83). These artworks immortalize vessels that connected people across vast distances while symbolizing progress during their respective eras.