Genre:

Illustration, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

J L, pseud.  [John Leech] *

Subjects:

Crystallography, Steam-power, Engineering, Light, Politics, Race

    Illustrates the attempt to increase the luminosity of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, an object that was the centrepiece of the Great Exhibition and is here represented by a Turk with a diamond-shaped head. The diamond is surrounded by several 'Eminent Scientific Men', the 'Dook' (i.e. Arthur Wellesley, (1st Duke of Wellington)), and some 'Dutch' artisans who are seen operating 'requisite machinery' to solve the problem of increasing the diamond's luminosity.