A middle-distant stern view of the wrecked cargo steamer Umbre (1898) with the salvage ship Hermes of the London Salvage Association off its port side. Two small boats are off the starboard side of the Umbre and a steam launch is off the port side of Hermes.Lines and pumping pipes can be seen passed between Hermes and Umbre ending in open hatches at the stern of the ship. The bottom and left side of the image is dominated by the rocks of the cliff at Greeb Point, near Morvah.

The Umbre was on voyage from Liverpool to Amsterdam and Rotterdam when it encountered a gale that resulted in the ship going ashore at Greeb Point on 20 February 1899. The Umbre had struck amidships at low water and tore a large hole in the hold so that within 10 minutes the upper decks were awash. The crew launched two lifeboats and survived. The Hermes arrived at St Ives on 22 February but due to the weather could not get alongside the ship until a few days later. By 11 March 1899 the rudder and stern post had gone and the bridge taken clean away by the sea.