Dockers at work unloading a cargo of tea.

Repro ID: H3851

Description: Tea was first brought from China to Britain in the 1670s as a medicinal herb, and was slow to become a popular drink. It was only when it was sweetened with sugar that it began to appeal to British taste. It became so popular that by 1794 Britain was buying 9 million pounds each year. Tea companies began to blossom in London and by the late 19th century the blending, branding and packaging of tea was an important trade in the capital. Most of the tea that was shipped to London in the 19th century was unloaded at the East India Docks or the riverside wharfs such as Hay's Wharf or Butler's Wharf.

Creator: 'Illustrated London News'

Date: 28 September 1889

Credit line: National Maritime Museum, London