Starboard bow view of the ‘Dreadnought’ in the dockyard with a cover over the deck; right background, two ships moored, lightly sketched; foreground, four small yachts; bottom right, signed ‘WD’. Pencil drawing.
Anecdote in pencil at bottom: ‘When the Dreadnought was launched she broke a new 24 inch cable without being checked.’
While the artist's note (initialled WD) along the bottom is interesting and identifies the principal ship shown as the 'Dreadnought' this is not a picture of her launch, but of her laid up with other old 'wooden walls' much later in her life. From 1827 to 1856 she was the (merchant) Seamen's Hospital Society ship off Greenwich, before going to the breakers. Since Daniell died in 1837 this view must be taken wherever she was laid up before going to Greenwich, and before having her lower masts drawn out. [PvdM 1/05]