This is a steeplate engraving of the Thames Tunnel, with a border made up of doric columns supported by Atlas (?) on either side, a boat with British flag and Britannia sailing along the top edge, and motifs of oars. The print, produced a decade before the Thames Tunnel was opened in 1843, offers an artist’s impression of what the finished Tunnel might look like.
Below the image, the title ‘Thames Tunnel’ appears. Below the central image are the makers’ marks ‘Tombleson del[ineavi]t’ and ‘H. Winkles sculp[sit]’. These are William Tombleson and Henry Winkles, who collaborated in producing Tombleson’s Views of the Thames and Medway (Tombleson & Co., 1833).
This print displays a small difference, compared to the other version of this print in the Museum’s collection, which indicates clearly that it was sold as a standalone print aimed at foreign tourists, rather than once having formed part of a larger book. Along the bottom edge, the title has been translated into both German (‘Der Trichter unter die Themse’) and French (‘Tonnelle sous la Tamise’). Between the two, publication information: ‘London. Published by Tombleson & Co. 11 Paternoster Row.’ In this, the print is indicative of a large international market for souvenirs and memorabilia concerning the Tunnel, alongside a number of other objects in the Museum’s collection.