Tuesday, July 04, 2017

John Martin's pre-Bazalgette Designs

This is John Martin's 1838 drawing showing his design for a combined sewer and rain fall system contained within an embankment of the Thames.

It pre-dates Bazalgette's work by not just years but decades but while the concept is on the right lines it is lacking in engineering technique. For example the gradient along the bank of the Thames is too slack which would have caused this sewer canal to silt up badly.

But it is a lovely drawing and shows some of the ideas that were taken up by Bazalgette.


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5 comments:

  1. my2fish12:14 am

    I'm a structural engineer at work, but schooling was civil engineering. Never done any sewer system design but still fascinated by old engineering. Cool post.

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  2. JP10:02 am

    Thanks!

    I find two things amazing about this drawing: firstly that it was such a long time ago and secondly that the hand that drew it was a professional artist not engineer. They were multi-talented in those days!

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  3. Lichanos12:12 am

    I am a big fan of John Martin’s engravings and paintings. I am also a retired CE with decades of professional work on NYC’s Sewers, and I just found out about this connection between JM and sewers! Can you tell me the source of the image, please.

    Thanks!

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  4. JP8:00 am

    Hi Lichanos,

    Good question - its a long time ago. Possibly the Tate museum archives? There was an exhibition on John Martin at the Tate Britain many years ago that showed his big canvases but also the sewer and underground railway plans, so they are likely to be the source

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  5. JP11:45 am

    How about here:

    http://www.wojm.org.uk/plans/plans.htm

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