‘Explosives’ (chromolitho)

‘Explosives’. Chromolithograph by Vincent, Brooks, Day and Son after Leslie (Spy) Ward. Published by Vanity Fair, 1892. During the 1880s the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) undertook a bombing campaign across the United Kingdom. They attacked infrastructure as well as government, military and police targets in support of their campaign for a free Irish Republic. Several bombs were defused and investigated by Colonel Vivien Majendie, HM Chief Inspector of Explosives. He referred to them as ‘infernal machines’ and ‘engines of destruction’ and is shown here holding such a device. Most of the bombs used a clockwork mechanism to fire a pistol, the bullet from which would then strike into a number of detonators to cause the devices to function.