Coiling the Cable in the After-tank on Board the Great Eastern at Sheerness: Visit of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales on May 23rd, 1865 1865 - 1866

Curator: Robert Charles Dudley created this mixed-media drawing, "Coiling the Cable in the After-tank on Board the Great Eastern at Sheerness: Visit of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales on May 23rd, 1865," sometime between 1865 and 1866. It is quite a mouthful. Editor: It really is. My initial reaction is the overwhelming darkness. A somber tone underscored by what seems to be casual class stratification among the figures presented. Curator: Exactly! The subject matter illustrates labor and spectacle intertwined. Dudley's choice of medium underscores the sheer industrial scale and effort required to coil the transatlantic telegraph cable. The materiality of this drawing speaks volumes. Editor: Absolutely. And what are the class dynamics at play here? You've got men toiling away at physical labor in the foreground, seemingly oblivious to or ignored by the bourgeois and royal figures elevated on the platform. Their presence is literally highlighted by the light source just above them. It seems the laboring-class is engulfed in darkness to give visibility to upper class. Curator: The etching work captures the nuances of the textures from the cable to the workers' clothing and the well dressed gentleman in a manner that reinforces a contrast in how this industrial endeavor impacts lives. Editor: Precisely. I’m interested in the implications this event had. We are witnessing the coiling of what was, at the time, cutting-edge technology but built, of course, upon the backs of the working class and colonial exploitation, as telegraphic communication greatly expanded British imperial reach. It speaks to progress, yes, but at what cost, and to whom? Curator: It is about how Great Britain presented its ambitions during the era. And to me, this piece is not just about the romantic idea of technology or national progress, but also about the very tangible effort, process, and social apparatus necessary to build something so massive. The materiality reveals something very telling about industrial power. Editor: I agree. Examining it, as a genre painting offers an entry point to interrogate that relationship between labor, industrial might, and Britain’s sociopolitical ambitions. Curator: So, Dudley's drawing offers us a layered view. We can delve into the process, materials, and the very specific context of Victorian industrial society and its implications through a seemingly celebratory image. Editor: A useful reminder that even what seems like celebratory art can unveil complex and often troubling power dynamics at play.