A view in one of the two dining halls of Greenwich Hospital, probably in the 1850s, with the Pensioners seated before dinner in disciplined order. If more recent door arrangements (removed in 2016-17) at the far end are indicative, and from a similar but more animated view published in the 'Illustrated London News', 1865 (see PAI8790), it is probably the 'West Dining Hall' in the crypt under the Painted Hall, looking west toward the kitchens beyond the far wall, rather than the hall under the Chapel. These dining arrangements started, originally in this space alone, when Thornhill began decorating the Painted Hall above in 1707-08. This had only been used briefly as the Hospital dining room and was not so again - save on special occasions- until the Painted Hall became the officer's mess of the Royal Naval College in 1939. It is worth noting that gaslight appears to have been installed here along the ridge of the vaulting.

The artist William Bligh Barker (1807-62) was the younger of two surviving sons of Henry Aston Barker and Harriet Maria Bligh (m. 1802), eldest daughter of Vice-Admiral William Bligh (of 'Bounty' fame): his name repeats that of his parents' short-tlived first child, 1802-05, who was buried at Lambeth and is commemorated on Bligh's tomb there. Trained as a doctor the second W.B. Barker later became a painter and this lithograph is one of a set of views of Greenwich by him that was published about 1840 by Bellamy of Newington Causeway, Southwark. Another shows the viaduct of the Greenwich railway, opened in 1836, which suggests they are all about that date rather than as early as 1820, which has sometimes been suggested. Barker appears to have inherited some independent means, being noted only as a 'Fundholder' at the 1861 census, when he was lodging in Royal Hill, Greenwich. Although noted as 'married', his wife was not present on the 1861 census night. He appears to have died in Greenwich in late April 1862 since he was buried there on 3 May.