On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Gun wharf - Devonport.

Linnaeus Tripe British

Not on view

When Tripe began photographing the Devonport dockyards, Great Britain was preparing to go to war against Russia in the Crimea. Great Britain’s military advantage depended, in part, on the precision and perfect caliber of its armaments. The cannon balls seen here await polishing for reuse. They had been returned to shore after a time at sea, where their surfaces had become corroded in the wet, briny atmosphere. In front of the seated man at left lies a modest pile of clean, shiny shot, while all around, in stark geometric piles, stand reminders of the work ahead.

Gun wharf - Devonport., Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport)

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.