Posted 3 months ago Lithograph of The ‘Goodwin Sands Floating
Shipwreck Asylum’, England, 1829-1851 This lithograph is by Rear
Admiral J. N. Tayler. It shows a proposal for a moored ship to
save people from shipwrecks on the Goodwin Sands. This was a
notoriously treacherous stretch of sea on the east coast of
Kent. Shifting sands make building lighthouses impossible and
the area was prone to shipwrecks. The word ‘asylum’ means a
sanctuary and a shelter from danger or hardship. This possibly
guided Rear Admiral Taylor when naming his design. However, he
may also have been satirising the number of ‘mental asylums’
being built during this period. This lithograph comprises a
vignette of the moored asylum in use, plus a diagram of the
vessel with explanatory captions. It was published by Standidge
and Company in London; Science Museum, London. Posted on January
28th, 2013