A quarter size salted paper print. A view from the port side of the quarterdeck on the 80-gun second rate three-decker HMS Superb (1842), looking aft towards the wheel with the poop deck and mizzen mast above. HMS Superb was part of the Experimental Squadron sent to sea to test the Symonds designs against earlier warship designs.

A sailor is standing to the right of the wheel with his hands on the spokes and a marine with ceremonial sash is standing to attention in front of the doors to the Captain's apartments.

To the left of the marine is the Clerk's Office and on the opposite side to the right of the sailor is the Captain's Steward's cabin with its sash window. In the foreground is the hatch coaming for the gratings and companionway to the upper deck below.

Reverse has been annotated in pencil by Admiral Ballard in 1934: 'Poop of Superb 1845'.

It is not certain who took the photograph, as both Talbot and Henneman, acting as his assistant, were on board at the time. (See article 'Talbot and Henneman, Mount Edgcumbe and Plymouth Dockyard Images' by Michael Grey in "The PhotoHistorian", Autumn 2014). Talbot and Henneman had arrived at Mount Edgecumbe by 20 September and Calvert Jones wrote to Talbot on 1 October 'You were fortunate in having such capital subjects as the experimental squadron and I shall be most anxious to see a specimen.' [BL, LA45-133]

The original negative for this original print is held by the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, reference: FT-029c