This Lawrence Cabinet sized glass plate shows a great view of Queenstown Harbour with Spike Island, a corner of Haulbowline and the Royal Yacht (I think?) on a fine clear day! Should it be the Royal Yacht then dating the image should be relatively easy?

As it happens though, dating this image hasn't been as easy as we'd imagined. Firstly, we learned that this isn't the Royal Yacht at all - but the battleship HMS Howe . As the HMS Howe was a "port guardship" in Cork Harbour from 1896-1901, we might surmise that this image dates that period in the late-1890s. However, there's a suggestion that we should also perhaps be able to see an 1890s storage shed on Haulbowline (right middle-ground). While the absence of this shed might imply a slightly earlier visit, as we understand Howe had just two main guns until 1890 (and we clearly see four here), we're likely after that date....

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Catalogue range c.1865-1914. Almost certainly 1890-1901. Likely mid-/late-1890s. Probably c.1896.

NLI Ref: L_CAB_01000