Lithograph of The 'Goodwin Sands Floating Shipwreck Asylum', England, 1829-1851
This lithograph is by Rear Admiral J. N. Tayler. It shows a proposal for a moored ship to save people from shipwrecks on the Goodwin Sands. This was a notoriously treacherous stretch of sea on the east coast of Kent. Shifting sands make building lighthouses impossible and the area was prone to shipwrecks. The word ‘asylum’ means a sanctuary and a shelter from danger or hardship. This possibly guided Rear Admiral Taylor when naming his design. However, he may also have been satirising the number of ‘mental asylums’ being built during this period. This lithograph comprises a vignette of the moored asylum in use, plus a diagram of the vessel with explanatory captions. It was published by Standidge and Company in London and bought at auction.
Object number:
1987-1078
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: hospital
An institution providing health care for individuals. This usually takes the form of medical and surgical treatment and nursing care for ill or injured people
Glossary: print
Pictorial works produced by transferring images by means of a matrix such as a plate, block, or screen, using any of various printing processes. When emphasizing the individual printed image, use "impressions." Avoid the controversial expression "original prints," except in reference to discussions of the expression's use. If prints are neither "reproductive prints" nor "popular prints," use just "prints."
Glossary: lithograph
Prints made using the process of lithography - a method for printing using a plate or stone with a completely smooth surface.