The world the steamship made – Professor John Darwin CBE
‘The liner she’s a lady’ The world the steamship made, 1830- 1930
Speaker: Professor John Darwin CBE
Date: Thursday the 5th of February from 6:30-8pm
“In our era of globalisation, its key agents have been the internet and the humble container, revolutionising the cost of seaborne transport. In that earlier age of globalisation that reached its pinnacle between 1870 and 1914, they were the submarine cable, the railway and, above all, the steamship, the vehicle of mass migration and soaring world trade. In this talk we explore the complex machinery of that steamship world. What roles were played by the liner and the tramp, the workhorses of ocean traffic? Who made up the vast workforce that steamships required, at sea and on shore? Which ports became the principal nodes of the steamship network, the gateways to countries and continents? And which routes became the great trunk roads of seaborne commerce?
We conclude by asking what was the mystery ingredient that allowed Britain to build and own more than half the world’s ocean-going steamships before 1914, to her immense profit. But that’s a tale with a melancholy end.”
Wolfson Prize winning historian John Darwin is author of the global maritime history Unlocking the World. He is Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford.
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Brunel Institute Talks Series
The SS Great Britain Trust presents an exciting and thought-provoking series of talks featuring guest speakers and experts from the Brunel Institute team.
The talks will showcase amazing stories, including how ships like the SS Great Britain revolutionised transoceanic travel and shrank the world. Other topics include delving into the lives of the crews who worked and travelled on steamships like the SS Great Britain, and the pivotal role Bristol played in launching the career of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his influence on the railway, maritime and architectural heritage of the city.
About this series
- Location: All talks will take place in the Viridor Suite at the Brunel Institute, which is located within Brunel’s SS Great Britain.
- Timings: Doors open at 6pm & Talks start promptly at 6:30pm.
- Extras: Your ticket includes a welcome glass of wine or a soft drink.
- Bookings: Tickets must be booked online in advance.
- Parking: Please note that we are unable to offer discounted parking for evening events. Information about parking rates can be found on the council’s webpage here: Maritime Heritage Centre Carpark
See more information about our next talk on the 5th of Feb below.
Previous Talks
Victorian Britain and the Rush for Gold |Benjamin Mountford (ACU)
Reaching the World Across the Oceans |Dr James Boyd (Head of Research, Brunel Institute)
Brunel and Bristol |Tim Bryan (Director of Brunel Institute)
The Crew of the SS Great Britain – How Steamships Changed Maritime Labour in the 19th Century | Joanna Mathers (Head of Collections & Maritime Curator, Brunel Institute)
SS Great Britain and British Emigration |Robert Fletcher (Professor of History and Kinder Professor of British History, University of Missouri)
How the SS Great Britain overcame the Tyranny of Distance | Tim Hatton is Emeritus (Professor of Economic History at the University of Essex and at the Australian National University)
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