The Opening of a Railway Line at Ely
British (English) School
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1846 - 1847
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
622 x 743 mm. (24 1/2 x 29 1/4 in)
Place of origin
Ely
Order this imageCollection
Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire
NT 515766
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, The Opening of the Railway Line at Ely, 1845, British (English) School, 1846/7. Hundreds of people gathered on what appears to be the opening of a railway line in Ely. Ely Cathedral dominates the skyline, whilst in front of it in the middle distance appears to be the tall funnel of a railway engine with smoke pouring out of it. In the front on the left is a tent with two flags flying on tall masts, various other flags are flying between the tent and the cathedral; men are in black top-hats and the women are dressed in crinolines, bonnets and shawls; blue sky and clouds. Perhaps the opening of the railway. The line from Ely to Peterborough was open by the Eastern Counties Railway Company in 1846 and the line from Ely to Wisbech was open by the Wisbech, St Ives and Cambridge Junction Railway in March 1847.
Provenance
Bequeathed to the National Trust by Huttleston Rogers Broughton, 1st Lord Fairhaven (1896-1966) with the house and the rest of the contents.
Credit line
Anglesey Abbey, The Fairhaven Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
British (English) School, artist