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A guide to the The Engineer supplemental engineering illustrations, 1871-1874
HDC0030 (SAFR 17602)  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Access
  • Publication and Use Rights
  • Processing Note
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Historical or Biographical Note
  • Collection Scope and Content
  • Collection Arrangement

  • Title: The Engineer supplemental engineering illustrations
    Date: 1871-1874
    Identifier/Call Number: HDC0030 (SAFR 17602)
    Creator:

    Dickes, William (1815-1892)
    Physical Description: 17 items.
    Repository: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department
    Building E, Fort Mason
    San Francisco, CA 94123
    Abstract: "The Engineer" supplemental engineering illustrations (SAFR 17602, HDC 0030) comprise a portfolio of 17 supplemental engineering illustrations on tissue paper from various issues of the weekly periodical "The Engineer." Plans give mechanical details of boilers, locomotive and ship engines and factory designs from 1871 to 1874. Printed by William Dickes (1815-1892), with the business address of Farringdon Road, E.C.. The collection is fully processed and open for research.
    Physical Location: San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department
    Language(s): In English.

    Access

    This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted.

    Publication and Use Rights

    Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

    Processing Note

    The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information. Such sources include the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material and subject matter experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors in this guide please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide.
    Please cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff.

    Preferred Citation

    [Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item Number], HDC0030 (SAFR 17602), The Engineer supplemental engineering illustrations, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

    Acquisition Information

    SAFR-00001
    This collection was transferred from Golden Gate National Recreation Area to the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

    Historical or Biographical Note

    Historical notes for subjects represented in this collection include notes on The Engineer (London) publication, William Dickes (1815-1892) biographical note, London's South Dock construction of 1873, Steamship GAEL vessel history, and the Vienna World's Fair of 1873.
    The Engineer is a London-based monthly magazine covering the latest developments and business news in engineering and technology in the UK and internationally. The journal was founded in January 1856, as a technical magazine for engineers. The Engineer began covering engineering including inventions and patents during a high point of British economic manufacturing power. In the 19th century, it also published stock prices of raw materials. Together with the contemporary Engineering Journal the work is considered a valuable historical resource for the study of British economic history. The Engineer continues to be published 10 times a year. [Sources: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/ ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Engineer_(magazine)]
    William Dickes (1815-1892) was an artist, engraver and chromo-printer with a business location on Farringdon Road, E.C. Mr. Dickes was born in Beechencliff, near Bath, on 7 May 1815. He was apprenticed to the wood engraver Robert Branston Junior around 1831, then from 1835 attended the Royal Academy Schools where he won several medals for drawing. During his life Dickes was known for his pioneering work in developing color printing techniques. He displayed specimens of oil color printing from raised surfaces at the Great Exhibition in 1851 and exhibited in Paris in 1855. [Sources: The book seller (1876), A newspaper of British and Foreign Literature, with which is incorporated Bents Literary Advertiser, established in the year 1802.; http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/portraits/engravers/dickes.html]
    During the 19th century the dock of London, on the Thames River, grew to handle the trade of an expanding empire. Two of these docks are represented in this collection. Located on the Isle of Dogs, the West India Docks were designed by William Jessop in 1802. The site comprised an import dock of 30 acres of water and an export dock of about 24 acres. Together, they had space for more than 600 large ships. At each end of the docks was a basin connecting them to the river, with locks to control the flow of water between the docks and the Thames. Five-storey warehouses were also built. Whilst initially built for the West India trade, the docks later handled general cargoes. South of the import and export docks was the South Dock, which was opened in 1870, (formerly the City Canal, built so that vessels could avoid sailing around the Isle of Dogs). The West India Docks ceased operation in 1980. The East India Docks opened in 1806 and originally served the East India Company's trading interests in India and other parts of Asia. The docks consisted of parallel import and export docks with a basin and locks connecting to the river. The export dock was badly bombed during the Second World War and filled-in. The collection includes drawings for the South Dock, which opened in 1870 to serve both the West Inda and East India docks. [Source: http://www.parishregister.com/londons_docks.asp ]
    The Steamship GAEL, represented in this collection, was an Iron Paddle Steamer built by Robertson & Co. Engineer: Rankin & Blackmore in 1867 for the Campbeltown & Glasgow Steam Packet Joint Stock Company. She was the first ship built by this ship yard. In 1884, she was sold to the Great Western Railway Company and based at Milford in Wales. She was chartered by the West Cornwall Steam Ship Company in 1888 and 1889 for the season. She was 211ft long, 23.2ft beam and 10.6ft deep. She could achieve a speed of 16 knots. She returned to Scotland in 1891, based at Oban under the ownership of MacBrayne. There she served Gairloch via Mull, Eigg, Mallaig and Skye until she was broken up in 1924. [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Cornwall_Steam_Ship_Company#Gael]
    Included in this collection is an illustration for a "Four coupled-tank engine" that was exhibited at the Vienna World's Fair of 1873 (Weltausstellung 1873 Wien). The Fair was open from May 1 through November 2, 1873. There were almost 26,000 exhibitors housed in different buildings that were erected for this exposition, including the Rotunde (rotunda), a large circular building in the great park of Prater designed by the Scottish engineer John Scott Russell. A week after the Fair opened the Vienna Stock Market crashed, and cholera plagued the city from July to September. [Sources: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weltausstellung_1873; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_1873_chess_tournament]

    Collection Scope and Content

    "The Engineer" supplemental engineering illustrations (SAFR 17602, HDC 0030) comprise a portfolio of 17 supplemental engineering illustrations on tissue paper from various issues of the weekly periodical "The Engineer." Plans give mechanical details of boilers, locomotive and ship engines and factory designs from 1871 to 1874. Printed by William Dickes (1815-1892), with the business address of Farringdon Road, E.C.. The collection is fully processed and open for research.
    This collection was formerly titled "ENGINEERING PLANS, 1873" and "Engineering plans collection"

    Collection Arrangement

    This is a small collection with no particular arrangement. The collection is housed in two folders.

    • Folder 1. contains 6 illustrations printed on thin paper, encapsulated
    • 1.Tank engine [for] Rhymney Railway, Sheet 2 " details. From issue # 52 " 1872 Feb 9
    • 2. Tank locomotive L.B. & S.C.R. " sheet 2 " details and section. From issue # 64 " 1873 May 9
    • 3. Homogeneous steel boiler designed by Mr. Levi Leigh. From issue # 64 " 1873 May 9
    • 4. Kingston and feed plug valves for engines 100 HP. From issue # 55 -- 1872 May 3
    • 5. Safety valves. From issue # 49 " 1871 Nov 17
    • 6. Plug and relief valves for engines of 100 HP. From issue # 57 " 1874 Oct 4
    • Folder 2 contains 11 printed illustrations on thin paper, encapsulated
    • 1. East and West India Docks " South dock warehouse roof. From issue # 58 " 1872 Nov 1
    • 2. General arrangement of small locomotive workshops. From issue # 63 " 1873 Mar 2
    • 3. Oscillating engines of the Steamship GAEL. From issue # 61 " 1873 Feb 2
    • 4. Cornish engine series X pumping engine with a 60 inch diameter cylinder and a 10 foot stroke, by H. Davey, Engineer. From issue # 50 - 1871 Dec 1
    • 5. High pressure marine boiler, 90 HP. From issue # 66 " 1873 June 27
    • 6. Rhymney Railway tank engine. From issue # 51 " 1872 Jan 5
    • 7. East and West India Docks " South dock passage gate (sht. 2). From issue # 69 " 1873 Oct 16
    • 8. East and West India Docks " South dock warehouse roof. From issue # 60 " 1873 Jan 3
    • 9. Express passenger engine " Great Northern Railway (Stirling). From issue # 48 " 1871 Nov 3
    • 10. East and West India Docks " South dock passage gates. From issue # 68 " 1873 July 25
    • 11. The Vienna Exhibition " Four coupled-tank engines. From issue # 67 " 1873 July 11

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Marine engineering
    Railroad locomotives
    Dickes, William, 1815-1892
    England
    Mechanical engineering
    Technical drawings