Amelia Moore: The Thames


Amelia Moore
Blog Post #1: Boat Ride on the Thames
One of my favorite excursions that we have taken part in so far in the semester has been the boat ride on the Thames.  One of the most interesting aspects of the boat ride was that it was so directly comparable to the many of the readings and topics that we have discussed in class. Throughout the 19th century, the Thames was incredibly polluted as it was utilized for transportation of goods as well as was a popular spot for industrial factories at the time. As a result, as is depicted in James Tissot’s painting “The Thames,” you can see the extent to which the Thames was in abhorrent conditions at the time. In the picture, one can see large columns of billowing smoke emanating out of the smoke stacks, as well as an incredible quantity of boats crowding the river. When comparing this picture to the modern day Thames, what struck me was ultimately how similar the two were. Although there are now stricter environmental restrictions on the industrial factories in the area as well as restrictions on what the Thames can be used for, it was still looked strikingly polluted. Much of the water was still a dull brown color, and as we were riding along you could see large amounts of liter along the edges of the river as well as some floating in the actual water. Additionally, the Thames still had many of the same uses as it did back in 1876 when the Tissot took inspiration for the painting.  During the ride, we saw a large quantity of recreational as well as shipping boats traveling down the river suggesting that it is still widely utilized for the transportation of goods. The representation of class was still present in the boat ride as well. We saw dirty, industrial shipping boats sailing past fancy recreational boats where tourists could dine on the Thames. This massive juxtaposition within the scene specifically is similar to the photo below and demonstrates the fact that although the world can advance exponentially, there continue to be many similarities between the 19th and 21st centuries.






Comments

  1. Melissa SimonMarch 13, 2019 at 2:52 PM

    I love how you juxtaposed the Thames in the 19th Century to the Thames today. Your detailed and descriptive comparisons, such as the river being polluted and used as a source to transport goods, allows the read to truly visualize the Thames. Although the photo you included seems so ancient, you had an interesting perspective by choosing to describe the similarities, as opposed to the differences. You did a great job describing exactly what is going on in the painting so the viewer could picture it clearly (ie. "In the picture, one can see large columns of billowing smoke emanating out of the smoke stacks, as well as an incredible quantity of boats crowding the river").

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