19thC; Jones Calvert, Ships in dock

Two sailing vessels in harbour, the larger of the two lies against the quay with the prow leading across the image, the smaller is tied up alongside, stern to the camera. The left side of the photograph is dominated by the rigging of the two boats. A line of horses and carts stands on the quay side. In the background to the right is the faded vestige of a row of houses.
The image is faded, particularly to the right edge and top. The print is albuminised, which appears as a varnish. All corners of the print are cut.

Calvert Richard Jones was one of the first to learn of W.H. F Talbot's photographic discoveries in the late 1830s through Talbot's friends and relations who lived near to Jones in South Wales. Subsequently, Jones became one of the few Britons to produced a substantial body of calotypes in Britain and abroad. His work stands out in the early development of photography because of his ability to fuse his technical skill with the influence of his training as a watercolorist.

From 1845, Jones took many marine subjects in South Wales, Bristol and Italy. This photograph is one of a set of prints most of which were photographed in Belgium. In 1853, Jones moved to Belgium and remained there until the death of his wife in 1856. During that time, he took photographs various locations, notably in Bruges and Ghent.

PH.101-1983