s An east view of the bridge and New Dock at Kingston upon Hull and A west view of the bridge and New Dock at Kingston upon Hull - Hull Museums Collections

An east view of the bridge and New Dock at Kingston upon Hull and A west view of the bridge and New Dock at Kingston upon Hull

These oil paintings of Hull's first enclosed dock, opened in 1778, are thought to be the basis for two aquatinted prints of the dock produced by Robert Thew in 1786. We are not certain just who painted these views. The view of the entrance at the east end of the dock shows the intricate bascule bridge, whose two counterpoised ends rose to give access to the lock pit. On the right is the original Dock Office, demolished and replaced by a larger building in 1820 at the north end of High Street. The west view of the New Dock shows in minute detail a great array of ships including the 'Molly' and 'Manchester' of the Hull Whaling Fleet; the latter was the first vessel to enter the dock and the venue for the grand celebration dinner. No other oil paintings by Thew are known.