Museum · England · Restored

SS Great Britain

SS Great Britain is an iron-hulled passenger steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and launched in 1843; she entered transatlantic service in 1845. At 322 ft long with screw propulsion and auxiliary sails, she combined iron construction, large engines and passenger saloons; today she is preserved in Bristol as a museum ship.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1845

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1845

What SS Great Britain looked like in its prime.

A very long iron-hulled steamship finished in black paint with a single white waist stripe and false gunports, a single amidships black funnel and six masts (one square, five schooner-rigged) with extensive rigging and signal flags. The hull is flat-bottomed with low tumblehome, iron railings instead of heavy bulwarks and painted decorative work at the bow. The upper spar deck is wooden; below are multiple passenger decks with broad iron staircases and large glazed stern windows.

Step inside

9 places to explore in 1845.

The record describes 9 distinct spots at SS Great Britain, including 7 interiors: broad iron staircase to the after (principal) saloon, after (principal) saloon (upper passenger deck), main dining saloon (lower passenger deck) and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

Exterior starboard bow from quaysideSpar (upper) deck, midships looking fore and aftBroad iron staircase to the after (principal) saloonAfter (principal) saloon (upper passenger deck)Main dining saloon (lower passenger deck)Engine room (amidships) viewing galleryBoiler room and forward engine compartmentStern access to propeller shaftForward promenade saloon (upper passenger deck)

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