This album contains the following photographs: 1. Copies of some of the NMM’s watercolours of the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal, ca.1750. 2. The Royal Brass Foundry, before and after – copies of 25 of the 50 RBF drawings attributed to Pieter Verbruggen, joint Master Founder 1770-81 and sole Master Founder until 1786, each one accompanied by a photograph of the equivalent position taken before the restoration of the Brass Foundry began. 3. Photographs of the 3 remaining parts of Henry Maudsley’s tomb moved to the Brass Foundry in June 1982 and subsequently removed.. 4. Colour photographs taken on the occasion of a visit by Greenwich Borough Council to the Brass Foundry in early 1985.
‘Constructed in 1717 the Brass Foundry stands as a memorial to the development of ordnance production in 18thC England. Described as “a monument of outstanding importance” the building survives as “ a rare…example of a purpose-built, large-scale machine shop from the very early stages of the industrial revolution’ (RCHME 1994). The Royal Laboratory was constructed at Woolwich in 1696 to manufacture ammunition, fuses and gunpowder; it was renamed the Royal Arsenal in 1805.

Ten photographic copies of Royal Laboratory watercolours as follows:
Birds eye view of Royal Laboratory Square, Woolwich, ca.1750. Negative number 3938.
Outside Royal Laboratory Square facing north, Woolwich, ca.1750. Negative number C4381 (A).
View of workers filling mortar bombs, Royal Laboratory Square, Woolwich, ca.1750. Negative number C4381D.
Interior of the forge and shot moulding workshop. Woolwich Arsenal, ca.1750. Negative number 4595.
Interior of combustibles – making room, Woolwich Arsenal, ca.1750. Negative number 3942.
Interior of the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal – workers grinding powder, ca.1750. Negative number 4589.
Interior of the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal – workers moulding powder pellets, ca.1750. Negative number 3941.
Interior of the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal – workers making charges, ca.1750. Negative number C4381/C.
Interior of the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal – men working the pumps, ca.1750. Negative number 3139.
Moulds for making powder pellets, ca.1750.
Ephemera 1: A note on the 50 anonymous drawings showing the process of gun founding at the Brass Foundry by H H Preston, no date.

Photograph 1: View from the vestibule of the Royal Brass Foundry looking NE towards the Thames, copy of watercolour ca.1776 – 1778. Note the large beam scale which was an essential piece of equipment, not only to measure the ingredients of the melt, but also to weigh the finished ordnance and to determine its centre of gravity. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 5: View looking westwards, towards the north of the Nave showing foundry workers fitting the pattern with the dolphins, ornamental lifting rings and other ornamentation, copy of watercolour ca.1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 6: View of the East Aisle showing foundry workers with a complete 24 pounder cannon pattern, wooden patterns of the trunnions having been attached, copy of watercolour ca.1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 7: View moving southwards along the Nave showing foundry workers making the mould round the pattern. Diluted loam, a mixture of a finely pulverised refractory clay and silicon sand mixed with water to a brushing consistency is used which is free flowing into the smallest details of the design. A Verbruggen technique was then to wind on hemp as a reinforcement. Copy of watercolour, ca1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 8: View near to the East Aisle entrance towards the south of the building. The mould is receiving the final layers of clay over a constant fire. The foundry worker on the left is kneading loam bats, several of which are seen lying on the template. The central worker holding a dipper will moisten the bats and the mould surface. Copy of watercolour ca.1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 10: View of the north end of the Nave showing foundry workers placing slats of wood bound with iron hoops on the finished mould to protect it. Copy of watercolour ca.1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 11: View of the north end of the Nave showing the open nature of the roof with its powerful trusses. A completed mould is being lifted off its turning frame for removal of the pattern. It is suggested that the white haired gentleman on the far right may be the master founder Jan Verbruggen. Copy of watercolour ca.1776-778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photographs 12 & 13: View of the east side of the Nave, towards its southern end. The foundry workers are disengaging the clay model from the mould. A greased wooden spindle is being withdrawn. Copy of watercolour, 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 14: View of the east side of the Nave with foundry workers removing the armature rope from the mould. Another worker in the background is being used as a reel to coil the re-usable rope. Copy of watercolour, 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 15: View of the north end of the Nave showing foundry workers in the final stage of clearing the pattern from the mould – the clay is being removed. Copy of watercolour, 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.
Photograph 16: View looking westwards towards the north of the Nave showing two small howitzers that have been cleared of their patterns. The worker in the middle is smoothing and gauging the trunnion holes whilst the man on the right is drilling a vent for the air to escape when molten metal is poured in and so reduce the risk of blow holes. Copy of watercolour, 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 17: View of the East Aisle where the moulder is filing and finishing the plug or cascabel plug which is to be inserted in the breech opening. Copy of watercolour 1776 – 1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 18: View of the north end of the Nave showing the final stage of preparing the mould. On the inside of the mould the clay surface is being baked by lighting a fire of brushwood. Copy of watercolour, 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 19: View of the north end of the Nave towards the south of the building showing workers coating the mould with graphite to enhance the finish of the casting. Copy of watercolour, 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 20: View of the East Aisle showing a vertical spindle method and the bell founder’s technique for casting the largest mortars. Copy of watercolour, 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 21: View of the north end of the Nave illustrating the hardening of the clay of the mould for a howitzer/mortar produced on the bell founding technique. Copy of watercolour 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 22: View of the north end of the Nave showing workers moving the mould towards the casting pit. Copy of watercolour 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 23: View of the north end of the Nave showing workers removing the brick armature and clay model from the mould. Another worker is examining the bore for flaws by the light of a candle. Copy of watercolour 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 27: View of East Aisle where seven cascabel moulds are being baked. Copy of watercolour 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 30: View of the East Aisle where a worker is rigging iron strapping above the cascabel mould of a small calibre gun. Copy of watercolour 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 33: View of the East Aisle where workers are filling the furnace pits after the cannon moulds were in place. There are 3 figures on the extreme left –one of whom was thought to be King George III who visited the RBF in 1773 but is now thought to be the Master General of Ordnance, George Viscount Townshend who visited in 1775. Also depicted an elegant lady, small girl and a gun founder who is explaining the procedure. Copy of watercolour, 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photograph 42: View of West Aisle (South) where a mortar and two howitzers are seen being broken out of their moulds. Copy of watercolour, 1776-1778. Equivalent view 1972.

Photographs 49 & 50: View of the boring mill for mortars and small cannon in operation. Copies of watercolours, 1776-1778. Equivalent views 1972.
Ephemera 1: NMM press notice, June 1982 re the removal of panels from Henry Maudslay’s tomb to the RBF from St Mary’s church.
Four photographs of the panels from the tomb. Four colour photographs of visit by Greenwich Borough Council to RBF in 1985.
Ephemera 2: Pamphlet entitled ‘The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich’ by Brigadier Ken Timbers, pub.2011.