PBA Galleries

Large 19x23½” folding, hand-colored print of the Great Eastern Steam Ship showing a full side view of the vessel, with 2 cut away views of the interior, published by Samuel D. Brain, N.Y. 1857. The view is folded and tipped into a 4 page 6½x10½” pamphlet, as issued. 

The  folder is identified on the rear panel as printed and published by The London Printing and Publishing Company, 55 Dey Street, New York. and 113 Montgomery Street, San Francisco. On the lower area of the print is a detailed description of the ship as she is being built at Millwall, England, which appears to serve as promotional copy for its upcoming launching and service. The two interior pages of the folder contain historical text describing the building of the ship, and its importance as the largest ship ever constructed to that date. A unique piece of early San Francisco publishing by Eadward Muybridge as he established  his bookstore before gaining fame as a photographer. OCLC Worldcat shows a handful of copies of the print but only the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley possesses this San Francisco imprint. A rare survivor in original uncut wrappers.