I boarded the SS Great Britain to take on the challenge of photographing a steamship above and below deck
October 27, 2025
The first steam-powered ships took to the water in the latter years of the 18th century, using paddles for propulsion and often still being fitted with sails. It was Richard Wright’s Experiment, a converted French lugger, that made the first trip on the open seas though, chugging from Leeds to Yarmouth in 1813.
However, the golden age of steamships was the Victorian era (approx 1820-1914)…