Caulking 1928

Arthur Briscoe etched this image of men "Caulking" presumably sometime in the first half of the twentieth century, in Britain. Caulking is an important process of sealing the seams on a wooden boat, and Briscoe has turned it into the subject of art. The scene evokes the hard labor performed by those whose livelihoods depend on the sea. Briscoe, himself a keen yachtsman, understood this life well. But it's worth remembering too that the Royal Navy was a major point of pride in Britain at this time, an empire that depended on the sea for its wealth and power. Briscoe's image participates in that cultural milieu. His decision to show the unglamorous labor that keeps boats afloat seems almost a conscious choice: a quiet celebration of those who serve in the background. As historians, we look at Briscoe's image, and others like it, to understand how the British understood themselves and their place in the world.