A whole plate negative. A slightly distant starboard near broadside view, taken from just ahead of the beam, of the 3 masted ship rigged vessel Essex (1862) at moorings in Gravesend Reach, River Thames. She is rigged with double topsails on the fore and main, single topsail on the mizzen and single topgallants. There are no royals. She has painted ports and a vertical accommodation ladder is deployed amidships. A stumpy rigged spritsail barge is alongside her port side amidships. Tilbury Fort Watergate is in the background, as is the Coast Guard Watch Vessel CGWV 28 (1847). Negatives numbers G1542 and G2020 were taken on the same occasion.