Title

Messrs. Peto, Brassey, and Betts' Office, Waterloo-Road, 1854. Creator: Unknown.

Caption

Messrs. Peto, Brassey, and Betts' Office, Waterloo-Road, 1854. After the British government requests a Civil Engineering Corps to build the Grand Crimean Central Railway, the London offices of Peto, Brassey and Betts are '..besieged by masses of fine stalwart men, eager to be engaged for that service, in the capacity of navvies, masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, plate-layers, and engine-drivers; and also as gaugers, time keepers, and foremen...Those engaged quit England in steamers from Liverpool, Sunderland, and Southampton...Most of the workmen have been employed, under Mr. Beatty, on the Canadian railroads, and are, consequently, well acclimatised for a Crimean winter. They are not pensioned in case of wounds, but they are very highly remunerated - a labourer obtaining five shillings per day and soldier's rations, and his passage paid...The engagement is for six months'. From "Illustrated London News", 1854.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector

Reference

HRM22B08_109

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

22,0Mb (1,4Mb) / 12,7in x 6,7in / 3798 x 2021 (300dpi)

Keywords

transport transportation people male work office offices employment job man men waiting railways engineering industry engineer engineers worker guy occupation British railway industrial war century Britain profession newspapers press labourer labourers company concept civil engineering B&W civil engineer 19th century black & white black and white B W nineteenth century workers The Print Collector Illustrated London News navvy railway staff railway worker ILN newspaper engraving Crimean War Unknown Peto navvies 19th-century Brassey and Betts Grand Crimean Central Railway