Isambard Kingdom Brunel Collection

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Standing Before the Launching Chains of the Great Eastern, 1857, printed 1863-64

Great Western Steam Ship, 1838
Hand-coloured engraving with aquatint depicting port side profile view of the SS Great Western. Vessel appears to be leaving Bristol, with buildings and church towers behind her

Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunels landmark bridge spanning the Avon Gorge, Bristol. IoE 379208

The SS Great Britain in Table Bay, 1852
Marine painting, seascape, SS Great Britain entering harbour at Cape Town, South Africa, accompanied by pilot boat. By artist John Wilson, 1854

Bristol Clifton Suspension Bridge
Sunset over the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, UK. The grade I listed bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

SS Great Eastern
Isambard Kingdom Brunels steamship the Great Eastern was launched on 31st January 1858 and broken up in 1888. (Photo by James Valentine/Getty Images)

Clifton Suspension Bridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, spanning the Avon Gorge of the River Avon, Clifton, Bristol, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, watching work on an early steamboat, c 1856 (b / w photo)
3099642 Isambard Kingdom Brunel, watching work on an early steamboat, c 1856 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

SS Great Eastern, IK Brunels great steam ship, 1858
SS Great Eastern, IK Brunels great steam ship, launched from J Scott Russells yard on the Thames in 1858. Chromolithograph published in London at about the time of her launch

Sailing poster for the SS Great Britain, 14 December 1871
A sailing poster for the SS Great Britain, advertising the ship to leave Liverpool for Melbourne on 14 December 1871

View of the (proposed) western archway of the Thames Tunnel, London, c1831. The Thames Tunnel, connecting Wapping and Rotherhithe, was the first underwater tunnel in the world

Launch of SS Great Eastern, 1857
Album of photographs relating to the construction of SS Great Eastern. Black & white photograph, features IK Brunel, Henry Wakefield, J. Scott Russell and Lord Derby

Valentia in 1857-1858 at the Time of the Laying of the Former Cable, 1865

Foilhummerum Bay, Valentia, from Cromwell Fort: The Caroline Laying the Earthwire on July 21st, 1865, 1865

Great Eastern on the stocks at Millwall on the Thames, 1857. View from the stern, showing the vessel in John Scott Russells (1808-1882) yard

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, civil engineer, c1850s
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, English engineer, c1850s. Brunel surrounded by vignettes of some of his most significant projects - the steamships Great Eastern, Great Britain

Opening of the Hungerford Suspension Bridge, from The Illustrated London News
XJF324355 Opening of the Hungerford Suspension Bridge, from The Illustrated London News, 3rd May 1845 (engraving) by English School

Bridge over the river Wye at Chepstow, ca 1885
863316 Bridge over the river Wye at Chepstow, ca 1885; (add.info.: Wrought iron tubular trussed bridge over the river Wye at Chepstow, c1885)

The delayed launch of the SS Great Britain steamship, 1844
3478569 The delayed launch of the SS Great Britain steamship, 1844; (add.info.: Punch cartoon about the delayed launch of the SS Great Britain steamship, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel)

Maidenhead Railway Bridge
5308380 Maidenhead Railway Bridge.; (add.info.: Engraving depicting Maidenhead Railway Bridge which carried the Great Western Railway across the Thames at Maidenhead)

The launch of the SS Great Eastern in 1858
3083201 The launch of the SS Great Eastern in 1858.; Private Collection; (add.info.: From The Century Edition of Cassell's History of England, published c. 1900).

Portrait of I.K. Brunel
673123 Portrait of I.K. Brunel; (add.info.: Isambard Kingdom Brunel (9 April 1806 - 15 September 1859), was an English civil engineer who built bridges

The suspension bridge over the Avon at Clifton, 1864. Creator: Mason Jackson
The suspension bridge over the Avon at Clifton, 1864. Bridge connecting Bristol and Clifton. 'Mr. Brunel's...estimate was £57,000; but when £45,000 had been spent only the towers

Captain William Harrison, Commander of the "Great Eastern" Steam-ship, 1858. Creator: Unknown
Captain William Harrison, Commander of the "Great Eastern" Steam-ship, 1858. Engraving from a portrait taken by Mr

Brunel Aboard the Aphrodita, Liverpool, c.1857. Creator: Robert Howlett
Brunel Aboard the Aphrodita, Liverpool, c.1857

The Arrival of the "Great Eastern" at New York - from a sketch taken on the Jersey side by E. Hall, 1860. A correspondent of the Times aboard Brunel's steamship wrote

The Great Western Docks, Plymouth: the Graving Dock, 1857. Creator: Unknown
The Great Western Docks, Plymouth: the Graving Dock, 1857.... the plans...were prepared by Mr. I. K. Brunel, and carried out under the superintendence of Mr

The Great Western Docks, Plymouth: the Floating Dock, 1857. Creator: Unknown
The Great Western Docks, Plymouth: the Floating Dock, 1857.... the plans...were prepared by Mr. I. K. Brunel, and carried out under the superintendence of Mr

Progress of the Great Ship, building at Millwall, for the Eastern Steam Navigation Company, 1856. Creator: Unknown
Progress of the Great Ship, building at Millwall, for the Eastern Steam Navigation Company, 1856. Scene by the River Thames in London: Brunel's SS Great Eastern, an iron sail-powered

Engines of the steamship Great Britain
Lithograph of the original engines of the SS Great Britain. This engine was installed when the ship was launched in 1843 to power the ship across the Atlantic

Photograph: Scrapping of the SS Great Eastern, c1889-1890
Gelatine dry plate glass negative photographs showing the scrapping of the SS Great Eastern in 1889-1890 at Rock Ferry on the River Mersey, by Henry Bath and Son

Brunel - you have wasted more of my time than your whole life is worth quote
In the 1830s IK Brunel had an assistant called FC Fripp. In one letter to Fripp Brunel writes Fripp. Plain gentlemanly language seems to have no effect on you

SS Great Eastern, 1859. Pictured at the port of Le Havre, France. Isambard Kingdom Brunel proposed to the Eastern Steam Navigation Company the construction of a steamship five or six times the size

The First class saloon of the SS Great Britain
Watercolour painting on card, interior of the first class dining saloon of the SS Great Britain, 1845. No artist signature. Shows visitors inspecting the ship and interiors

Isambard Kingdom Brunel 1836 Sketchbook - GWR carriages
Folio 40 of Isambard Kingdom Brunels 1836 Great Western Railway Sketchbook, titled ÔÇÿGWR Carriages. The entry shows detailed drawings of the outsides of train carriages

View of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Proposed to be erected by the Trustees appointed under the Act, according to the [Egyptian] design and under the directions of I. Brunel Jnr. Drawn by J.D

Clifton with the Suspension Bridge
Colour print of Clifton and Bristol Harbour, published in 1864 when the Clifton Suspension Bridge was opened. The river Avon visible in the foreground with a passenger pleasure steamer

Gateway of the Clifton Suspension Bridge
Lithograph titled Gateway of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. The image was published before construction of the bridge had begun

The Great Eastern - Named The Leviathan
Coloured print showing the Great Eastern at sea with smaller vessels in the foreground. Titled: The Great Eastern - Named The Leviathan, 3 November 1857

The Arrival of the Iron Steam Ship Great Britain in New York, 1845
Coloured print showing the arrival of the SS Great Britain in New York on her first transatlantic voyage. The print is entitled The Arrival of the Iron Steam Ship Great Britain

Isambard Kingdom Brunel sketch: Cross-section of a steamship with paddle wheels, possibly the Great Eastern, c1854
Sketch by IK Brunel. Cross-section of a steamship with paddle wheels, possibly the Great Eastern. Also a plan of the shape of the ship; details of the engine; and a cross section. c1854

Brunel - you are a cursed lazy inattentive apathetic vagabond quote
In the 1830s IK Brunel had an assistant called FC Fripp. In one letter to Fripp Brunel writes Fripp. Plain gentlemanly language seems to have no effect on you

SS Great Western setting off from Bristol on her maiden voyage to the United States, 1838
This print shows the SS Great Western setting off from Bristol on her maiden voyage to the United States. She is shown in profile

SS Great Eastern, lower sectional plan
Large scale colour engraved sectional plan of the SS Great Eastern, lower sectional plan. Scale 1/8 to 1 foot. Print shows, in colour

SS Great Britain in Falkland Islands, 1970
Black and white photograph taken in the Falkland Islands in 1970, during work to salvage the ship and bring her home to Bristol

SS Great Britain on the Atlantic, 1846
Oil painting of the SS Great Britain, by Bristol based marine artist Joseph Walter, c1846

SS Great Britain, 1845. Colour illustrations showing general arrangement ( starboard profiles of ship for maiden voyage in 1845)

Longitudinal cross section of SS Great Eastern, Leviathan, Steamship, 19th Century
Vintage illustration of Longitudinal cross section of SS Great Eastern, Leviathan, Steamship 19th Century. An iron sailing steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and built by J

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Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the visionary civil engineer of the 19th century, left an indelible mark on the world with his remarkable creations. Standing before the launching chains of the Great Eastern, he exuded confidence and determination that would propel him to greatness. One of his most iconic achievements was the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a marvel spanning the Avon Gorge in Bristol. Designed by Brunel himself, this engineering masterpiece showcased his ingenuity and ability to blend functionality with beauty. But it wasn't just bridges that captivated Brunel's imagination; he also had a passion for ships. The SS Great Eastern stands as a testament to his ambition and innovation. As it sat on stocks at Millwall on the Thames, awaiting its launch in 1857, one could only imagine what wonders awaited onboard this great steamship. Brunel's brilliance extended beyond physical structures; he also revolutionized underground transportation. The proposed western archway of the Thames Tunnel in London gave us a glimpse into his forward-thinking mind and laid foundations for future subterranean networks. With each new project came excitement and anticipation. The launch of SS Great Eastern in 1857 was met with awe-inspiring spectacle as crowds gathered to witness history being made. This monumental event solidified Brunel's legacy as one of Britain's greatest engineers. His impact reached far beyond British shores too; Valentia Island became synonymous with technological advancement when cables were laid there under Brunel's guidance in 1865. His vision connected continents like never before, paving the way for global communication systems we rely upon today. Isambard Kingdom Brunel embodied innovation and fearlessness throughout his career as a civil engineer. His contributions continue to inspire generations who dare to dream big and push boundaries further than ever imagined.