Coal hulk, ex-'Camperdown', in Portsmouth Harbour

Medium includes graphite. The ship was previously HMS 'Trafalgar', originally designed as a 98-gun second rate but re-classified as a 106-gun first rate ship of the line in February 1817. It was the only vessel built to that draught, was launched at Chatham on 26 July 1820 and on 22 February 1825 was renamed 'Camperdown'. The vessel moved from flagship at Sheerness to being laid up at Portsmouth in the quarter prior to 20 June 1844. It became a receiving ship at Portsmouth by 20 June 1854 and then was converted to a coal hulk between 20 March and 20 June 1857 and was again renamed as HMS 'Pitt' on 29 August 1882. As the 'Pitt' it was sold out of service on 15 May 1906 and was broken up in Castle’s yard at Charlton on the Thames. The drawing shows the ship in Portsmouth harbour flying the blue ensign of fleet auxiliary vessels, looking seaward during some festive event, possibly the annual Portsmouth regatta, with ships dressed overall and a salute being fired from HMS 'Victory' (the Portsmouth flagship) in the background. Wyllie - who has signed the drawing lower right - moved from Hoo on the Medway to Portsmouth in 1906 and may have done the drawing just before the former 'Camperdown' was decommissioned, though it could have been earlier. [PvdM 4/18]

Object Details

ID: PAF2026
Collection: Fine art
Type: Drawing
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Wyllie, William Lionel
Vessels: Camperdown (1885)
Date made: circa 1900; circa 1906
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection
Measurements: 447 mm x 599 mm