A view of Old Hungerford Bridge with a number of Thames barges and paddle steamers on the river. The Houses of Parliament appear at the upper left. This pedestrian bridge linked the south bank with Hungerford Market on the north side. It was probably etched in the winter of 1860 when the Brunel Bridge was being demolished to make way for Charing Cross railway bridge. The original Hungerford Suspension Bridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel was opened in 1845, and was replaced in 1864 by a bridge designed by Sir John Hawkshaw.

The suspension chains, some of which are shown being taken down, were re-used to complete Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, also designed by Brunel. This etching anticipates Whistler’s move to an aesthetic approach, concentrating on simple lines and shapes to convey the scene. He has included a number of different river craft: steamboats, Thames barges, lighters and a hay barge. Figures can be seen working high up on the bridge.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) was born in Massachusetts, and brought up in Russia (1843-48), where he studied art in St Petersburg, before settling in London. This was one of his 'Series of Sixteen Etchings on the Thames' published in 1871. He etched the plates for these prints after he moved to Wapping in 1859. He worked directly with his subjects and by doing so, succeeded in highlighting the existence of a working-class maritime community in the city of London.