Inscribed: "Wreck of H.M. Steamship 'Birkenhead.' Off Danger Point, Cape of Good Hope, at One o'clock on the morning of the 26th February 1852. The Ship is represented ten minutes after striking, and five before she made her final plunge. The Blue Lights at the Stern illuminate the Scene. 23 Officers and 468 Soldiers and Sailors here found a watery grave. Great numbers were taken down by Sharks. All the Women and Children on board, 13 in number, were saved. | Extract from 'The Times' - The 'Birkenhead' went down in 1852, when nearly 500 Officers and Men all standing in presence of death upon the sinking ship, as calmly as on the parade ground. The then King of Prussia caused that splendid story of iron discipline and perfect duty to be read aloud at the head of every Regiment in his Kingdom. Drafts of the following Regiments were on board to join their Regiments engaged in the Kaffir War, 1852:- Royal Marines, Royal Artillery, 12th Royal Lancers, 2nd, 6th, 12th, 43rd, 45th, 60th (2nd Battalion) Rifles, 73rd, 74th (Highlanders), 91st, and Rifle Brigade. | Ralph Shelton Bond, Cornet, 12th Royal Lancers (a Survivor)."

The firm trading as "Vincent Brooks, Day & Son" was created through merger (of Vincent Brooks and Day & Son Ltd) in 1867 and manufactured lithographs until 1898, when it was incorporated and became "Vincent Brooks, Day & Son Ltd". This business history provides earliest and latest dates for their work; this particular print is based on a similar watercolour acquired by the NMM in 1966 (PAH0930) as by "R. S. Bond", which we know was publicly exhibited in 1890 and 1891 (see that object's description for detail), but for which no firm date has yet been assigned, so a range of 1867-c.1890/1 is assumed. The "Times" extract referred to in the inscription has been surprisingly hard to locate in its entirety, but by Jun 1892 part of it appears in an advert for a related picture by a second artist (again, see PAH0930 for detail). In sum, whichever date for the lithograph proves to be correct, its production at several (perhaps many) years' remove from the incident depicted is testimony to the lasting fame of the 'Birkenhead''s loss.

Signed by artist in plate as RS (? - has in the past been read as an M) Bond.