The Thames, or the Triumph of Navigation


This is an interesting engraving from 1792 that purported to show the importance of navigators to opening up the trading and imperial possibilities for Britain. The Thames was regarded as the highway for British trade to the rest of the World with ships being able to sail right up into the heart of the Imperial capital. The engraving includes navigators such as Walter Raleigh, Francis Drake and James Cook. It recognises the vital role that exploration and maritime endeavour was seen to play in the success of Britain and its acquisition of Empire.


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by Stephen Luscombe