Diary page, 28 March and 1 April 1844, Marc Brunel or possibly Isambard Kingdom Brunel on the Thames Tunnel
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Object number2014.03184
TitleDiary page, 28 March and 1 April 1844, Marc Brunel or possibly Isambard Kingdom Brunel on the Thames Tunnel
Creator Marc Isambard Brunel (author)
DescriptionCutting from a diary page, dated 28 March and 1 April 1844. Not clear if I. K. Brunel or Sir Marc Brunel, but the handwriting looks more like Marc Brunel's.
On 28th March, he went to the Rotherhithe end of the tunnel, which was busy, with 'the Fair going on.' He writes that he went through the tunnel from the Wapping end, and at the Rotherhithe end found 'a cab ready to run me along the Tunnel with a Donkey. Thus I made my first run through the Tunnel.' Mr Hammond accompanied him. He describes 'Flags flowing in all directions, pendants with my name, and expressions of congratulations, cheering from the whole assembly!' and 'The music playing the well known air of the Conqueror Comes!' He comments, 'All most gratifying of course though but a sham triumph.'
In the Monday 1st April entry, he copies out a letter which he wrote to the secretary Mr Burgess regarding when the next board meeting will be, a query about a diary book, and 'several important points that must be noted in the first report required for the Loan commissioners'. Mr Chartier says that the meeting will be next Wednesday, 10th April.
Brunel has viewed some caoutchouc (rubber) paving at the Admiralty, which he thinks may be 'valuable for the tunnel, if the Descents are made!'
Transcript available.
Production date 1844-03-28 - 1844-04-01
Object namediary sheet
Object categorypersonal record
Materialpaper
Techniquehand written
Dimensions
- height: 145 mm
width: 120 mm
Credit line“Accepted under the Cultural Gifts Scheme by HM Government from Clive Richards OBE DL and allocated to the ss Great Britain Trust, 2017”