Exciting development!

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Many thanks, Dave

I have mentioned that the original photograph was taken by your goodself.

I found the picture on a public website somewhere I hope you don`t mind me using it?

Not got a time machine, Dave…….Just a new interest is photograph manipulation…LOL

Thanks for posting……..Capt B

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Bob No problem re- the picture I just love the make over back to a long forgotten time of black and white photography .

Dave Wooley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

The great chimney explosion, as depicted in 1859 on her maiden voyage

Looks like a Victorian Magic lantern slide

Bob

[Phil Winks 1Participant @philwinks1]

I agree Bob almost certainly a Victorian magic lantern slide probably a huge amount of artistic licence taken with the ferocity of the fireworks above deck too I guess

Phil

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Phil

I often wonder how the Victorian public would have obtained these slides?…….After all they must have been hot news at the time and thousands of such slides would be required!….And dispersed, somehow around the major towns

They could have gone to a sort of early cinema for a slide show and lecture?

An area we don`t know much about……..Most of the photos in my GE book were obtained from slides…….Fascinating"

Bob

[Phil Winks 1Participant @philwinks1]

many early photo's, and remember the victorians pretty much developed the photgraphic process, were copied onto slide, a relitively simple process, and then hand coloured, not so simple but this did allow a sort of mass production

Phil

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

An interesting page on Magic Lanterns…

**LINK**

Would be nice to find a set of GE slides?……There`s probably hundreds out there!

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Phil!….What a cracking Magic Lantern?

We can now visualise the quality of the Victorian Magic Lantern shows

Forerunners to the cinemas?…

Bob

Edited By Bob Abell on 04/11/2012 17:17:48

[Phil Winks 1Participant @philwinks1]

they were indeed Bob, and of suprising quality, as you no doubt gathered from that site there are a number of avid collectors of these slides, and as you surmise there must be a goodly number featuring the GE it was, after all, a very news worthy vessel in its trime

Phil

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

What a nice surprise?

Was watching a Coast program this afternoon and was very pleased to see the Great eastern episode broadcast again

How time flies these days?……That was 15 months ago!

Pleasant nostalgic memories came flooding back, the model looked excellent and sailed well…. I have to admit!

Looking back, I'm really surprised there was no rehearsed dialog or script involved?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Just a picture from the archives, showing the rust in full splendour!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

I saw the same rerun and it looked like you had a really nice sunny day out, such a change from todays weather.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Pau

A day to remember, without doubt and the weather was ideal…….Don't know what would have happened, had we been rained off?

The programme is back on again on BBC I-player

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

For Miles Robinson

He is thinking of building a similar Great Eastern

Miles…….This is a later thread describing the modifications to the model to accommodate the cable laying equipment

I will try and trace the build blog and post a link

Bob Abell

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Miles

The blog was wiped off a few years ago, when the website had a complete revamp

The gallery build still exists here…..

**LINK**

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Found this old lantern slide of the launch fiasco

I`m surprised the ship didn`t roll over, during it`s descent?

Brunel must have been under tremendous stress at the time!

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

For Hutch Hutchinson

Bob Abell

[hutchParticipant @hutch73959]

Hi Bob,

A cousin of mine has a section of the original of the cable that was laid {I hope she still has it },.

Its about a foot long and I think its two wires I have not seen it for over 40years so I am lony guessing.

Cheers,

Hutch

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Hutch

After the cable was laid, all the surplus cable was bought by a famous jewellery company (May have been Tiffany`s) and turned into ornaments and jewellery

I often mooch about the junk shops hoping to find such a relic!

The original cable had about seven live copper cables, surrounded by other steel cable, surrounded by armour type cable….all soaked in Gutta Percha…….a super insulating substance from the sap of a tree with the same name

Just found this….

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Hutch

After the cable was laid, all the surplus cable was bought by a famous jewellery company (May have been Tiffany`s) and turned into ornaments and jewellery

I often mooch about the junk shops hoping to find such a relic!

The original cable had about seven live copper cables, surrounded by other steel cable, surrounded by armour type cable….all soaked in Gutta Percha…….a super insulating substance from the sap of a tree with the same name

Just found this….

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Hutch

After the cable was laid, all the surplus cable was bought by a famous jewellery company (May have been Tiffany`s) and turned into ornaments and jewellery

I often mooch about the junk shops hoping to find such a relic!

The original cable had about seven live copper cables, surrounded by other steel cable, surrounded by armour type cable….all soaked in Gutta Percha…….a super insulating substance from the sap of a tree with the same name

Just found this….

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Here is a reference to the cable jewellery made by Tiffany`s in 1858

This was the first cable which lasted only two weeks!

**LINK**

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Here is a reference to the cable jewellery made by Tiffany`s in 1858

This was the first cable which lasted only two weeks!

**LINK**

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Here is a reference to the cable jewellery made by Tiffany`s in 1858

This was the first cable which lasted only two weeks!

**LINK**

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Just found this very nice clear picture, in colour too, of GE

The drums in the foreground with the chains were meant to control the descent of the ship, as it descended down the slipway. At each end of the drums are friction brakes to control the descent speed. Each brake has a long radial arm, which was manned by several men.

At launch time, the ship slipped down the greased ramps with such speed and force, that the men were hurled into the air with fatal results! This caused the ship to "cross jam"……the rest is history!

Take a look at the quality of the plating!……..No wonder Great Britain ruled the seas?

Can you imagine the conditions down below, stoking the boilers all day by candlelight?……Or probably carbide lamps?

The chap in the top hat could be the designer…..John Scott Russel……..Brunel was the Boffin

Hope your share my pleasure in the history of GE?

Bob

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