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The Great Eastern under Construction The construction of a very large ship dominates the left hand side of this horizontal composition. Wooden structural supports surround the ship. Placed diagonally within the composition, the viewer is able to see a large paddle wheel centrally placed on the side. A smoke stack rises above the paddle wheel, and smokes drift towards the center of the composition. A gleam of sunlight is reflected of the ship's side and onto the water below. The entire foreground is dominated by activity on the water. Large rowboats, dwarf in comparison to the massive ship, hover in ship's shadow. Moving towards the center, several masted ships echo the vertical wooden supports of the larger structure. In the immediate foreground, a wooden ship forms a diagonal line pointing to the opposite shore. The downed mast points directly to the largest ship. Several other masted ships, receding in size, guide the viewer's eye to the opposite shoreline. Church steeples intermingle with and echo the vertical lines of the many masts. Smaller steam vessels appear further upstream. Right of center, in an unobstructed view in the distance, a double domed structure rises on the horizon. The main buildings appear lighter in color than the domes. Background Isambard Kingdom Brunel, son of Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, was appointed as engineer for the Great Western Railway (London (Paddington) to Bristol) in 1833. His work included railway line, bridge and maritime designs. Wooden ships, relying on sail power for propulsion, dominated maritime travel at home and abroad until the mid-19th century. With increasing developments in iron production, as well as steam engines, the ship building industry became a viable force in the English economy. Larger, faster and more reliable ocean going ships allowed opportunities for increased market trade and sources of raw materials also increased the quest of imperialism. Brunel designed and launched one of the first transatlantic steamers, the Great Western, in 1837. It had a wooden hull, full set of sails and a huge paddle wheel. In 1843, Brunel's Great Britain, an all iron ship containing a screw propeller and full set of sails, was launched. Brunel's largest iron hulled ship, and the largest iron ship in the world until that time, the Great Eastern was built in London from 1853-58, and launched in 1859. It was about 700 feet long and 87 feet wide, had a screw propeller, a huge pair of paddle wheels and a full set of sails. It could carry 4,000 passengers or 10,000 soldiers, and its amenities included an interior telegraph system that linked the engineering room with the captain on the bridge, gasworks for lighting and a full farmyard for fresh meats. Railway Bills were granted in great heaps. Two hundred and seventy-two additional Acts were passed in 1846. Some authorized the construction of lines running almost parallel to existing railways, in order to afford the public 'the benefits of unrestricted competition.' Locomotive and atmospheric lines, broad gauges and narrow gauge lines, were granted without hesitation. Committees decided without judgment and without discrimination; it was a scramble for Bills, in which the most unscrupulous were the most successful.
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