Ship launch at Woolwich

This riverside scene shows crowds gathering to witness the launching of a man of war at Woolwich. The tower of St Mary's, Woolwich, can be seen at the left. In the foreground, people carry boarding vessels and are preparing to sail along the Thames.

Woolwich was London's principal naval shipyard until the middle of the 19th century. It was closed in 1869 because the new ironclad ships required deeper water docks further downstream. The buildings then became stores for the War Office.

This particular drawing is as much about the incidents being depicted in the foreground, as it is about the actual launching of the ship. Boats filled with members of the public, some of whom are gently caricatured, mingle with the statel barge seen on the right. Uniformed soliders with celebratory drums can be seen nearby.