Repro ID: D4001_2
Title: Ship's biscuit or hard tack.
Description: Providing food at sea was a major problem for both naval and merchant shipping from the 17th century onwards. Several methods of preserving were available to early mariners, particularly smoking and salting. Such methods did not however provide ships' crews with a healthy diet. Some effort went into provisioning ships with fresh food, but on longer voyages this was not possible. The ship's biscuit, has come to signify all that was poor about the early seafaring diet.
Creator: Unknown
Date: c. 1829
Credit line: National Maritime Museum, London
