A whole plate size salted paper print. A view along the Strada Colonna waterfront at Messina, Sicily, possibly taken from a first floor balcony(?) of one of the hotels close to the Palazzo di Citta. The facades of the buildings along the marina stretch from the camera to the distance. The Fonti di Nettuno can be seen on the right of the image and was originally opposite the Palazzo di Citta before being moved in 1909. The statue in front of one of the ships is either Charles III (erected 1757) or Francis I (erected 1836), which were either side of the fountain. Both were melted down in 1848 for artillery during the revolution. A number of small sailing ships are moored bow and broadside-to the quay with gangways in place.

The original negative had been inscribed '22. On the Marina, Maßina', which is seen on the bottom edge of the print. This corresponds with the item listed in R C Jones' letter to WHF Talbot, dated 8 July 1846 under the heading of 'Large Talbotypes'.[BL, LA46-80].

Reverse has been annotated in pencil by Admiral Ballard in 1934: 'Naples Marina'.

R C Jones left Malta in April 1846 after the death of Lady Charlotte Talbot (wife of WHF Talbot's cousin) on 2 April 1846 in Malta. He was at Naples by 29 April, as he wrote to Talbot. Jones then arrived in Rome in May 1846 before returning to England as his uncle was ill (later to die in early June).

Original negative for this original print is held by the British Library, Talbot Collection, reference: ACC 00262.