When Tripe began photographing the Devonport dockyards, Great Britain was preparing to go to war against Russia in the Crimea. Great Britain's military advantage depended, in part, on the precision and perfect caliber of its armaments. The cannon balls seen here await polishing for reuse. They had been returned to shore after a time at sea, where their surfaces had become corroded in the wet, briny atmosphere. In front of the seated man at left lies a modest pile of clean, shiny shot, while all around, in stark geometric piles, stand reminders of the work ahead.
