Alice Lloyd, Winner 1st Prize (Topsails) Severn winner 1st prize (Spritsails)

This hand-coloured lithograph depicts a sailing barge race on the River Thames. The title is printed beneath the image: ‘The Sailing Vessels beating down Sea Reach (near Holehaven) / in the / Seventh Annual Sailing Barge Match, / July 20th, 1869'. Inscriptions above the title identify the two leading barges as: ‘“Alice Lloyd,” Winner 1st Prize (Topsails)’ and ‘“Severn,” Winner 1st Prize (Spritsails)’. A list of the ‘Prizes for Topsails’ is printed on the left and lists of the ‘Prizes for First Class Spritsails’ and ‘Second Class Spritsails’ are printed on the right.

The ‘Alice Lloyd’, owned by E. Lloyd, had a winning time of 7 hours, 43 minutes and 15 seconds. The ‘Severn’, owned by Grays Chalk Quarries Company, had a winning time of 8 hours and 5 minutes.

The annual Thames Sailing Barge Match was founded by Henry Dodd (1801–81) in 1863. In 1869, the race organized by the Sailing Barge Committee, consisting of leading members of the Barge Owners’ Protection Society. The topsails and first-class spritsails raced from Erith to the Nore Light and back.

The ‘Alexandra’ steamer is visible on the right of the image. This vessel was chartered by the Sailing Barge Committee to convey subscribers and their friends to watch the race.

The publication line and dedication read as follows: ‘Drawn on stone and published April 30th, 1870, by Josiah Taylor, 13 Jackson Road, Holloway, London, N. / Dedicated to the Committee and the Subscribers by their obedient Servant Josiah Taylor’.