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Lot Essay
This work was commissioned from the artist by Sir Richard Summers a few days after the Britannia Bridge was damaged by fire in 1970. Sir Richard, a Director of the LMS from 1937 and then the BR Midland region until 1968, had great affection for the Britannia Bridge and was close to tears on hearing of the fire. He immediately felt that the construction should be captured in paint before it was destroyed or drastically altered, and turned to his friend, Terence Cuneo, to achieve this.
Members of Sir Richard's family remember visiting the bridge with him in the District Engineer's Saloon. The iron girders and the tarred timber roofs, in particular, were to leave a lasting impression. The latter were ultimately to cause the bridge's destruction as boys set fire to them whilst attempting to smoke out pigeons. The box girders caused a draught which resulted in an inferno - shown here in one of the photographs.
The structure was repaired and updated to allow for a road to run above the rail tracks. The stone piers required little work but the deck boxes were strengthened with steel arches.
The solution was inspired but not beautiful. The painting shows the elegance of Telford's design of 1857, now sadly lost.
Members of Sir Richard's family remember visiting the bridge with him in the District Engineer's Saloon. The iron girders and the tarred timber roofs, in particular, were to leave a lasting impression. The latter were ultimately to cause the bridge's destruction as boys set fire to them whilst attempting to smoke out pigeons. The box girders caused a draught which resulted in an inferno - shown here in one of the photographs.
The structure was repaired and updated to allow for a road to run above the rail tracks. The stone piers required little work but the deck boxes were strengthened with steel arches.
The solution was inspired but not beautiful. The painting shows the elegance of Telford's design of 1857, now sadly lost.