The Shipmaker’s Hands
This film was created on board the SS Robin, the oldest remaining fully intact steamship from the Victorian-era, launched in 1890 at Bow Creek by the Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Company. Builders of some of the biggest warships the world had ever seen, the firm and its predecessors were one of the biggest employers around Bow Creek from 1838 until 1912. Their ships were vital to empires and navies across the world, but particularly to the British Empire and the Royal Navy. The firm also contributed to the building of structures including bridges and buildings and also built smaller commercial vessels such as the Robin.
As well as the Thames Ironworks, dozens of other firms were based nearby, having a huge impact on the development of the area and the local community. In his poem, Dauda reflects on this history, which linked a small patch of East London to the rest of the world.