HMS Royal Albert in the Firth of Forth c. 1880 after a June 1860 original RCIN 709606-1504619217

HMS "Royal Albert" in the Firth of Forth c. 1880 after an 1860 original

HMS Royal Albert was a Screw Steamer vessel, launched in 1854. She was probably commanded by Captain Henry James Lacon around the time that this photograph was taken. The Royal Albert was part of the Channel Fleet which was in anchor in the Firth of Forth until their departure on the 23rd June 1860. Wilson took the photographs from the deck of HMS Trafalgar and count as some of the earliest photographs taken on board a ship whilst at sea. This photograph is a later carbon copy which is a process that is less susceptible to light damage, unlike the original albumen photograph which was prone to fading over time.

Provenance: From an album of photographs collected and arranged by Albert, Prince Consort between 1860 and 1861