Robert Howlett in this feat of engineering. This project included the well-known portrait of the "Great Eastern"’s creator and engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, standing in front of the giant launching chains on the 'checking drum' braking mechanism at John Scott Russell’s Millwall shipyard. It was taken to celebrate the launch of the world’s largest steamship, in November 1857. This image, which depicts Brunel in an industrial setting instead of a more traditional background for a portrait, has been described as "one of the first examples of environmental portraiture". Howlett died in 1858, aged 27, at his home and studio at 10 Bedford
Isambard Kingdom Brunel father's middle name, which was also his father's preferred given name. "Isambard" is a Norman name of Germanic origin, meaning either "iron-bright" or "iron-axe". The first element comes from "isarn" meaning iron (or steel). The second element comes from either "biart-r" (bright, glorious) or from "barđa" (a broad axe). His middle name "Kingdom" was his mother's maiden name. The son of French civil engineer Sir Marc Isambard Brunel and an English mother Sophia Kingdom, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born on 9 April 1806 in Britain Street, Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, where his father was working on block-making machinery. He had two