Forward Deck of the Great Eastern Cleared for the First Attempt to Grapple for the Lost Cable, August 11th, 1865 1865 - 1866

Robert Charles Dudley made this watercolor and graphite drawing on paper in 1865. It shows the crew of the ship Great Eastern attempting to recover a lost transatlantic telegraph cable. The drawing encapsulates the optimism of the Victorian era, a time when technological advancements were seen as a means of progress. The image creates meaning through the depiction of labor, highlighting the collective effort required to achieve such ambitious engineering feats. It serves as a visual code for the industrial revolution, the rise of global communication networks, and Britain's prominent role in these developments. The drawing prompts us to consider the social and economic conditions that enabled such large-scale projects. Researching into company records, engineering reports, and maritime logs helps us to understand the complex network of finance and power that underlay this technology. The image reminds us that art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.