First Port of Empire 1840 - 1939 at Museum of London Docklands

This busy gallery exposes the visitor to the vast array of activities, issues and events facing the London Docks from 1840 1939. The space contains some of the most impressive exciting and evocative artwork and objects housed in the Museum. With the advent of steam power, the volume of trade flowing through London massively increased. More trade meant more docks and between 1855 and 1886 a series of them were opened to accommodate steamships. The invite below, from the opening of Tilbury Docks, is just one of the artefacts that relate this growth to the visitor. Another are the tools above. These belonged to a shipwright who helped to build wooden vessels.