Photo 173

Custom made wooden box measuring 460x365x110mm, covered in brown buckram, with Bombay Port Trust. Prince's Dock Extension Works. Photographs, stamped in gold on lid. Padded interior. The box contains 65 prints on card mounts measuring 330 mm x 420 mm. Prints are individually dated and captioned with letterpress titles pasted on mount beneath each image. The mount of each print also bears the following label: Bombay Port Trust. Prince's Dock Extension Works. George E. Ormiston, M.Inst.C.E., Engineer. Messrs Kirby & Co., Contractors. The wetstamp of the photographer E. Taurines also appears on the back of prints 8-22 and 52-65. The remaining prints are unstamped, but given the similarity of style throughout the collection it is likely that all the photographs are the work of Taurines.

This collection documents the construction of the Victoria Dock to the south of Prince's Dock. Originally named Elphinstone Dock, but re-named in honour of the Prince of Wales, who laid the foundation stone in 1875, Prince's Dock was opened for traffic on New Year's Day 1880. With the increase in port traffic at this period, however, it was almost immediately found to be inadequate for shipping needs and within 18 months the decision was taken to contruct a further dock. Work on the Victoria Dock was started in January 1885 and the ceremony of admitting water to the new dock was performed on 21 January 1888 by the Governor of Bombay Lord Reay (see print 65). The Prince's and Victoria Docks were connected by a communication passage, thus creating an integrated dock system. The building of the Victoria Dock absorbed the old Masjid and Nicol Bunders, and the material excavated in its construction was mainly used for forming two large jetties in Mody Bay.