SS Robin is one of London's secret treasures. She's
the world’s oldest complete steamship, built on London's River Lea in
Bow in 1890. She's a symbol of an extraordinary period in British history when merchant shipping was the core of a determined spirit of
entrepreneurship, turning Britain into the workshop of the world. She's been under wraps for the past three years undergoing extensive restoration work, and now this irreplaceable historic ship sits proudly on a new floating pontoon - like a precious sculpture. She's the only ship in the world to be displayed in this way - an amazing sight.
In July 2011 she made a historic homecoming to within a mile of her original construction, and is temporarily moored at London's Royal Victoria Dock while final funding and fit-out works are completed to turn her into a new cultural landmark for London .
With a life spanning three centuries, she represents an incredible story of risk, enterprise and endurance, and now she's all set to take her place as a symbol of East London's transformation in the run up to London 2012. A 'Core Collection'
vessel of the National Historic Fleet, SS Robin provides an extraordinary opportunity to trace the story of
industrialisation and growth in Britain across three centuries, including the technological
innovations and social changes that have taken place over this time.
SS Robin’s life began in
1890, at a time when industrial development and engineering expertise dominated
the British landscape. Invention,
expansion, enterprise were at their height, and Britain led and dominated the
buoyant markets of shipbuilding, trade and manufacturing.
She
represents the skill and ingenuity of a generation of merchant entrepreneurs
and innovative industrialists working at the cutting edge of the technology of
their time.
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