This hand-coloured lithograph depicts the launch by Prince Albert on 19th July 1843 of the famous steamship ‘Great Britain’, which was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and built at Bristol by the Great Western Steamship Company. Her innovative design successfully combined steam and sail power, making her swift and fuel efficient, which enabled her to cross the Atlantic in half the time of other ships of the day. The event attracted thousands of onlookers, who thronged the riverbanks. People can be seen far up the hillside opposite, even perched precariously on the sloping roofs of tall buildings in their efforts to gain a good view. In the foreground, flags flutter gaily in the breeze, and men and women wave their hats and handkerchiefs in the air. The ship herself is decked out in flags along her length. She is attended by a flotilla of rowing boats. A gun fires in salute from a vessel whose stern is just visible on the extreme left of the picture.