On the deck of the SS Great Eastern under construction

British photographer Robert Howlett documented construction of the SS Great Eastern, the largest steamship in the world when it launched in 1858. The ship included three engines, six sails, and the ability to travel at the then-unprecedented speed of over 16 miles per hour.

The powerful vessel became a symbol of the period’s technology and engineering. Originally built to carry cargo and passengers between England and India, it was sold to the Great Eastern Steamship Company, which used it to lay the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The ship measured 692 feet and is today considered a forerunner of the modern ocean liner.