Thames Tunnel commemorative kerchief

Object no. | LDBRU:2007.2 |
---|---|
Size | 540 (w) x 405 (h) mm |
Date | about 1843 |
Acquired | Probably gift of Laura Silley, 1975 |
Condition | |
Location | Stored offsite at TLA |
Cream cotton/linen handkerchief with printed design in red, commemorating: "The Thames Tunnel opened the 25th day of March 1843.” The central illustration of the grand staircase is most similar to an engraving by Thomas H. Ellis, with additional figures added to the scene. The diagram of the Thames Tunnel is similar to one by William Westall. The quality of the handkerchief suggests it was a mass-produced, relatively cheap souvenir for visitors to the Thames Tunnel, that could have been bought within the tunnel itself.