The SS Great Eastern, designed by Isambard…

The SS Great Eastern, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel as the largest steam vessel of its time and built between 1854 and 1858.

Designed to make the round trip from England to Australia without recoaling, she was at first named the SS Leviathan, but her high building and launching costs ruined the Eastern Steam Navigation Company and so she lay unfinished for a year before being sold to the Great Eastern Ship Company and finally renamed SS Great Eastern.

It was decided she would be more profitable on the Southampton–New York run, and outfitted accordingly.

She is finally launched—after many technical difficulties—on January 31, 1858.