A starboard bow view of the general cargo ship King Cadwallon (1900) capsized with her starboard bulwarks under water on Hard Lewis Rocks, east of St Martin's Island, Scilly. The water is lapping around the open forehold hatchway. A rowing boat is secured to the ship by the funnel and another boat is just off with two men rowing. The photographer was on another rowing boat, the stempost of which can be seen at the bottom left of the photograph.

King Cadwallon was on voyage from Cardiff to Naples with a cargo of coal in foggy conditions when she struck the rocks off St Martin's at about 5am on 22 July 1906. On striking the head canted to starboard and the forehold filled with water within 10 minutes. The crew abandoned ship and awaited rescue. The ship became a total loss after slipping back into deeper water. Herbert Gibson got a lift out by boat soon after the ship struck and took two photographs that his brother Alexander took orders for prints from members of the crew.