An astonishing photograph album created by one of the men who helped launch Britain’s first submarines has emerged for the first time after it was released by his family. The previously unseen pictures show the embryonic stages of the submersible machines from the very first years of the 20th century. Cpt John Moreton’s album also includes snaps from the late 19th century and captures the time when the Napoleonic era of sail was being replaced by newer technologies. Emerging naval power: This photo in Captain John Moreton's incredible album shows a submarine with HMS Victory in the background, depicting the changing technologies from sail to submersibles . Going under: A sequence of pictures showing one of the very early submarines submerging. The album has delighted naval enthusiasts and is expected to fetch thousands at auction . The discovery has delighted naval enthusiasts and it gives a glimpse into a past world when the British Empire that was built through her navy was still all-powerful. Moreton was a protege of Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon who pushed for the development of subs despite much opposition. Some of the pictures show the great vessels of previous eras including Lord Nelson’s ship HMS Victory that helped defeat the French and Spanish navies at Trafalgar in 1805. She is seen afloat and clearly remained a commissioned vessel, flying the white ensign. The album includes well over 100 . photos mostly taken at Portsmouth, Hants, and shows the brave men who . crewed the experimental submarines. Both . Bacon and Moreton moved to the brand new destroyer Dreadnought after . she was launched in 1906, and this powerful ship is also pictured. Its design redefined the battleship, making all previous ships out of date. There . includes an amazing shot of a broadside of a Majestic-class ship, and . shows her in a cloud of smoke made from the firing of her huge guns. Another . photo shows a dockside scene at Portsmouth with crowds of people, . including ladies under parasols and a police constable. The man himself: Cpt Moreton stands proudly on top of a submarine, a technology he was instrumental in bringing to the British navy . Pioneers: Some of the brave crew who manned the experimental machines with a sub moored alongside a depot ship in Portsmouth . In it, a Royal Sovereign class steam . ship is pictured afloat as well as two men-of-war from the Napoleonic . era, including one of which is the Victory, the other may be the Duke of . Wellington. Another shot . shows HMS Dreadnought - the most modern ship of the time - with HMS . Victory in the background, representing over 100 years of Royal Navy . vessels. And between them, . three submarines can be seen - representing the future. One shot shows . Moreton himself standing on the deck of a submarine with his arms . akimbo. The first British sub, H1, was launched in 1901, and the album includes photos of H2 and H3 that followed shortly afterwards. They were named ‘H’ after John . Holland, an Irish-born American who perfected the working submarine. There is a picture of one sub moored to the side of a ship, HMS Hazard, . and others show them submerging. The boats didn’t have proper names . because there was a feeling that submarine warfare was a bit underhand. Indeed, Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson VC in 1901 described them as . ‘underhand, unfair and damned un-English.’ Incredible insight: The album, which has come into public view for the first time after permission was granted by Cpt Moreton's family, will go up for auction on April 25 . New technology: Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon and officers on HMS Hazard, a ship that supported the submarine experiments, in 1901 . However, . with Lord ‘Jacky’ Fisher pushing for the technology and backing Admiral . Sir Reginald Bacon, submarine development advanced quickly. And with Bacon supporting talented men such as Cpt Moreton, submarines became an accepted arm of the senior service. The . album is to go under the hammer at Charles Miller auctions in London on . April 25 and is expected to fetch several thousand pounds. Mr Miller said: ‘This is an extraordinary and fascinating album that was compiled by Cpt John Moreton. He was a protege of Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon whose work on submarines had the important backing of Lord Jacky Fisher. ‘There was a feeling at first that submarines were a little underhand and people looked down on them. But Jacky Fisher correctly predicted they would be important and this albums records the very early days. ‘And it straddles the modern era of ships such as Dreadnought with the past era of sail typified by HMS Victory. Between them is the story of the development of the submarine. They were very small and were expensive to develop. Past and future: HMS Dreadnaught in the front, HMS Victory in the distance and between them three submarines . Historic: The dock at Portsmouth with a Royal Sovereign class ship on the left and HMS Victory to starboard . ‘They didn’t even have proper names because they weren’t considered important enough. ‘These photos show pictures of the crews and it really is a wonderful record of this period of our naval history.’ Wyn Davies, a maritime heritage expert and author, said: ‘This looks like a splendid collection of photographs of some historic importance. ‘In one shot alone there is a battleship, plus HMS Dreadnought, HMS Victory, a survey vessel or colonial gunboat and three submarines. ‘The album shows vessels from the 18th century right through to HMS Dreadnought and the submarines that represent the future.’ Moreton was promoted to commander in 1909 transferred ultimately to the Indomitable. He had a distinguished career in the Great War, gaining the DSO and promotion to captain. He died of pneumonia in 1920 aged 43 while on active service.
Over 100 pictures chart move from Napoleonic sail to submersibles .
Previously unseen collection compiled by Captain John Moreton .
Expected to fetch several thousand at auction later this month .
An astonishing photograph album created by one of the men who helped launch Britain’s first submarines has emerged for the first time after it was released by his family. The previously unseen pictures show the embryonic stages of the submersible machines from the very first years of the 20th century. Cpt John Moreton’s album also includes snaps from the late 19th century and captures the time when the Napoleonic era of sail was being replaced by newer technologies. Emerging naval power: This photo in Captain John Moreton's incredible album shows a submarine with HMS Victory in the background, depicting the changing technologies from sail to submersibles . Going under: A sequence of pictures showing one of the very early submarines submerging. The album has delighted naval enthusiasts and is expected to fetch thousands at auction . The discovery has delighted naval enthusiasts and it gives a glimpse into a past world when the British Empire that was built through her navy was still all-powerful. Moreton was a protege of Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon who pushed for the development of subs despite much opposition. Some of the pictures show the great vessels of previous eras including Lord Nelson’s ship HMS Victory that helped defeat the French and Spanish navies at Trafalgar in 1805. She is seen afloat and clearly remained a commissioned vessel, flying the white ensign. The album includes well over 100 . photos mostly taken at Portsmouth, Hants, and shows the brave men who . crewed the experimental submarines. Both . Bacon and Moreton moved to the brand new destroyer Dreadnought after . she was launched in 1906, and this powerful ship is also pictured. Its design redefined the battleship, making all previous ships out of date. There . includes an amazing shot of a broadside of a Majestic-class ship, and . shows her in a cloud of smoke made from the firing of her huge guns. Another . photo shows a dockside scene at Portsmouth with crowds of people, . including ladies under parasols and a police constable. The man himself: Cpt Moreton stands proudly on top of a submarine, a technology he was instrumental in bringing to the British navy . Pioneers: Some of the brave crew who manned the experimental machines with a sub moored alongside a depot ship in Portsmouth . In it, a Royal Sovereign class steam . ship is pictured afloat as well as two men-of-war from the Napoleonic . era, including one of which is the Victory, the other may be the Duke of . Wellington. Another shot . shows HMS Dreadnought - the most modern ship of the time - with HMS . Victory in the background, representing over 100 years of Royal Navy . vessels. And between them, . three submarines can be seen - representing the future. One shot shows . Moreton himself standing on the deck of a submarine with his arms . akimbo. The first British sub, H1, was launched in 1901, and the album includes photos of H2 and H3 that followed shortly afterwards. They were named ‘H’ after John . Holland, an Irish-born American who perfected the working submarine. There is a picture of one sub moored to the side of a ship, HMS Hazard, . and others show them submerging. The boats didn’t have proper names . because there was a feeling that submarine warfare was a bit underhand. Indeed, Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson VC in 1901 described them as . ‘underhand, unfair and damned un-English.’ Incredible insight: The album, which has come into public view for the first time after permission was granted by Cpt Moreton's family, will go up for auction on April 25 . New technology: Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon and officers on HMS Hazard, a ship that supported the submarine experiments, in 1901 . However, . with Lord ‘Jacky’ Fisher pushing for the technology and backing Admiral . Sir Reginald Bacon, submarine development advanced quickly. And with Bacon supporting talented men such as Cpt Moreton, submarines became an accepted arm of the senior service. The . album is to go under the hammer at Charles Miller auctions in London on . April 25 and is expected to fetch several thousand pounds. Mr Miller said: ‘This is an extraordinary and fascinating album that was compiled by Cpt John Moreton. He was a protege of Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon whose work on submarines had the important backing of Lord Jacky Fisher. ‘There was a feeling at first that submarines were a little underhand and people looked down on them. But Jacky Fisher correctly predicted they would be important and this albums records the very early days. ‘And it straddles the modern era of ships such as Dreadnought with the past era of sail typified by HMS Victory. Between them is the story of the development of the submarine. They were very small and were expensive to develop. Past and future: HMS Dreadnaught in the front, HMS Victory in the distance and between them three submarines . Historic: The dock at Portsmouth with a Royal Sovereign class ship on the left and HMS Victory to starboard . ‘They didn’t even have proper names because they weren’t considered important enough. ‘These photos show pictures of the crews and it really is a wonderful record of this period of our naval history.’ Wyn Davies, a maritime heritage expert and author, said: ‘This looks like a splendid collection of photographs of some historic importance. ‘In one shot alone there is a battleship, plus HMS Dreadnought, HMS Victory, a survey vessel or colonial gunboat and three submarines. ‘The album shows vessels from the 18th century right through to HMS Dreadnought and the submarines that represent the future.’ Moreton was promoted to commander in 1909 transferred ultimately to the Indomitable. He had a distinguished career in the Great War, gaining the DSO and promotion to captain. He died of pneumonia in 1920 aged 43 while on active service.
changing technologies from sail to submersibles . expected to fetch thousands at auction . The April 25 and is expected to fetch several compiled by Cpt John Moreton. He was a protege of