Sea Adventure: The "Great Western" (colour litho)

The "Great Western." In 1838 crossing the Atlantic by steam was a great adventure (although it had been accomplished more than once), and for a group of hard-headed business men to build the biggest steamer in the world especially for this purpose was thought foolhardy. Yet Brunel persuaded the Great Western Railway Company to build the Great Western, thus continuing their service beyond the Bristol terminus to New York. The Great Western and the little Sirius (which had left Cork three days before the former left Bristol) arrived at New York on the same tide. She averaged 8.2 knots and made about 90 voyages. Illustration for one of a set of 50 cigarette cards on the subject of Sea Adventure, issued by Hignett Brothers in 1939.