Interior of One of the Tanks on Board the Great Eastern: The Cable Passing Out 1865 - 1866

Robert Charles Dudley’s watercolor depicts the interior of a tank on board the Great Eastern, a steamship that laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The scene shows the cable passing out from a large spool, with workers carefully guiding its journey. The artwork captures the technological advancement of the era and highlights the vital role of human labor in this groundbreaking feat of engineering. The depiction is a detailed representation of the process, showcasing the complexity of the task and the skill of the workers. The realistic portrayal of the scene gives viewers a sense of the scale and scope of the undertaking.