Loading a Stone Wagon by William Henry Pyne (1769-1843). This drawing reminds us that well into the nineteenth century human strength rather than steam-powered machinery handled tasks requiring great strength and energy. Although cranes powered by horses were used in coal mining, the cost of building a small one that the draft horses shown in the picture could power was obviously not economical enough for jobs like these. [Click on image to enlarge it.]
Related Material
- Sawing Stone
- Nineteenth-century Energy Sources
- The Industrial Revolution (homepage)
- Responses to the Industrial Revolution (homepage)
You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you credit Dover books & link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. — George P. Landow
Bibliography
Pyne, William Henry. Rustic Vignettes for Artists and Craftsmen. New York: Dover: 1977. Thanks to Dover for permitting reproduction of up to 10 plates.
Last modified 24 October 2020