A powerful lithograph by Joseph Pennell depicting the immense scale of a steam hammer within a British munitions factory during the First World War.

Joseph Pennell produced this lithograph as part of his series documenting the British industrial effort during the First World War. The image captures the interior of a munitions factory, focusing on the immense scale of a steam hammer. Pennell uses the medium of lithography to exploit the contrast between deep, velvety blacks and the stark white of the paper, effectively conveying the atmosphere of a heavy industrial environment. The composition is dominated by the massive, arched silhouette of the hammer, which occupies the centre of the frame. Its weight and presence are suggested through dense, layered strokes of lithographic crayon. In the background, the skeletal structure of the factory roof and the surrounding machinery are rendered with quick, energetic lines. Small figures of workers are visible near the base of the machine, providing a sense of scale that emphasises the sheer size of the industrial equipment. Pennell was an accomplished printmaker who held a particular interest in the aesthetics of modern industry. Rather than focusing on the human cost of the war, his work during this period sought to document the technological power and the physical reality of the factories that supplied the front lines. The lines are expressive and direct, avoiding unnecessary detail to maintain a sense of immediacy. This print offers a clear view into the mechanics of early twentieth-century manufacturing, reflecting the artist's ability to find visual order within the chaotic environment of a busy workshop. The work remains a record of the industrial mobilisation that defined the era, captured with the technical precision characteristic of Pennell's graphic output.