A card and leather covered album containing 11 photographic plates relating to the machinery onboard the Great Eastern (1858), as converted to a cable laying ship. It also contains 13 other plates, mainly taken from the Illustrated London News that relate to other activities and events during the expedition.

Below are the listed plates:

1. Steam-ship “Great Eastern” leaving Liverpool for New York, March 26, 1867.
2. Deck View, showing the Troughs which conveyed the Cable from the Tank to the Machinery. [shows a clear view of the deck with two guns in the foreground]
3. Showing the Cable as it enters and passes through the Machinery, after leaving the Trough which conveys it from the Tank.
4. A Sectional View of No. 1, showing the large Brake-wheels and the Cable as it passes four times round the Drum-wheel. [shows in fact a sectional view of No. 3]
5. Showing the Dynamometer used for indicating the amount of strain on the Cable, and the Cable as it passes over the Stern.
6. General View of Paying-out Machinery, seen from the Stern of the Ship, showing the Cable, &c., as when being paid-out.
7. Sectional View of No. 6, so as to show the working parts of the Machinery on a larger scale.
8. The Picking-up Machinery, situated near the Bow of the Ship, showing the Grappling-rope round the Drum, as when in use.
9. Same Machinery as No. 8, taken from the opposite side.
10. Showing the Bow-sheaves and the Grapnel-hook that brought up the Cable from 1865.
11. View from the Bow, showing the Buoys, &c., especially the large one, which floated with 13 tons weight of Cable attached.

Illustrated London News plates:

12. The paying-out machinery of the Great Eastern
13. Heart’s Content Bay, Newfoundland, from the deck of the Great Eastern
14. The Atlantic Cable Fleet at Berehaven, Bantry Bay
15. The Atlantic Telegraph Expedition: The foul flake in the cable coil
16. Making a joint to splice the cable with the Irish shore end
17. Amateur dramatic entertainment on board the Great Eastern steam-ship at sea
18. [Photographic plate of illustration] The Atlantic cable ready for shipment, Morden Wharf, East Greenwich
19. [Photographic plate of illustration] Receiving the cable ashore at Ballylakeero [?] Strand
20. [No caption] Inboard profile plan showing the modifications for the cable drums
21. [No caption but a photographic plate of ILN illustration] The Great Eastern leaving Sheerness with the Atlantic telegraph cable onboard (14 July 1866)
22. Preparing for the final attempt to grapple the lost cable – from a sketch by our special artist.
23. Shipping the Atlantic cable onboard the Great Eastern
24. The Great Eastern off Brighton on her return home – from our special artist
25. Laying the shore end of the Atlantic telegraph cable at Foilhommerum , Isle of Valentia