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'Selfie' of Brunel looking fed up on a train, goes on show in Bristol | |
(about 9 hours later) | |
A "selfie" of Isambard Kingdom Brunel as he shivered on a rattling train in the 1830s, is to go on show. | |
The self-portrait was drawn as he travelled on an "ice chiller" train on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. | The self-portrait was drawn as he travelled on an "ice chiller" train on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. |
Matthew Tanner, of the ss Great Britain Trust, said the picture - on show in Bristol - "is the first selfie really". | Matthew Tanner, of the ss Great Britain Trust, said the picture - on show in Bristol - "is the first selfie really". |
A number of Brunel's previously unseen notebooks are on show at the ss Great Britain to mark the 175th anniversary of his first London-to-Bristol train. | A number of Brunel's previously unseen notebooks are on show at the ss Great Britain to mark the 175th anniversary of his first London-to-Bristol train. |
The previously unseen pencil drawing, was drawn years before Brunel was appointed as chief engineer for the Great Western Railway Company. | The previously unseen pencil drawing, was drawn years before Brunel was appointed as chief engineer for the Great Western Railway Company. |
It shows a man shivering in a cold carriage, with his hands in his pockets trying to keep warm with the comment: "Travelling in an ice chiller - hands very cold, going 28 miles per hour on the Lion locomotive". | It shows a man shivering in a cold carriage, with his hands in his pockets trying to keep warm with the comment: "Travelling in an ice chiller - hands very cold, going 28 miles per hour on the Lion locomotive". |
Mr Tanner said the young Victorian engineer would travel the nation's bumpy railway lines with a notebook in his back pocket trying to draw and write smoothly. | Mr Tanner said the young Victorian engineer would travel the nation's bumpy railway lines with a notebook in his back pocket trying to draw and write smoothly. |
"He went on everybody else's railway to see how bad they were," he said. | "He went on everybody else's railway to see how bad they were," he said. |
"And he tried to draw perfect circles as he was travelling along, as his measure of the smoothness of the railway." | "And he tried to draw perfect circles as he was travelling along, as his measure of the smoothness of the railway." |
'Uncanny self-portrait' | 'Uncanny self-portrait' |
Two years later, he was appointed chief engineer for "God's Wonderful Railway", the length of which he personally surveyed in its entirety in a bid to find the smoothest, flattest route. | Two years later, he was appointed chief engineer for "God's Wonderful Railway", the length of which he personally surveyed in its entirety in a bid to find the smoothest, flattest route. |
Matthew Golton, GWR commercial director, said: "The diary extract could well be documentary evidence of the moment of inspiration that gave birth to Brunel's vision of the Great Western Railway. | Matthew Golton, GWR commercial director, said: "The diary extract could well be documentary evidence of the moment of inspiration that gave birth to Brunel's vision of the Great Western Railway. |
"The second - likely a self-portrait - bears an uncanny resemblance to one of the famous photographs by the landing chains of the ss Great Eastern, almost 30 years later." | "The second - likely a self-portrait - bears an uncanny resemblance to one of the famous photographs by the landing chains of the ss Great Eastern, almost 30 years later." |
Brunel's diary entries and notebooks are on display at Brunel's ss Great Britain until 2 July. | Brunel's diary entries and notebooks are on display at Brunel's ss Great Britain until 2 July. |