Transatlantic Communications Cable Collection

Lord Kelvin, Scottish mathematician and physicist, with his compass, 1902. Artist: James Craig Annan
Lord Kelvin, Scottish mathematician and physicist, with his compass, 1902. Born William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) was educated at Glasgow and Cambridge

Capt. and crew of MACKAY-BENNETT, between c1910 and c1915. Creator: Bain News Service
Capt. and crew of MACKAY-BENNETT, between c1910 and c1915

Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable: Sir Robert Peel addressing bystanders...at Valencia, 1865. Creator: Unknown
Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable: Sir Robert Peel addressing the bystanders after the taking of the shore end of the cable to the Telegraph House at Valencia, 1865

Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable: watching the Caroline going out to sea... 1865. Creator: Unknown
Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable: watching the Caroline going out to sea with the shore end of the cable, 1865. Engraving from a sketch by Robert Dudley....the country people...[were]

Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable: landing the shore end of the cable...Valencia, 1865. Creator: Unknown
Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable: landing the shore end of the cable from the Caroline at Foilhommerum, Valencia, 1865

Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable: receiving messages from the Great Eastern...Valencia, 1865. Creator: Unknown
Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable: receiving messages from the Great Eastern in the instrument-room of the Telegraph House at Foilhommerum, Valencia, 1865

Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable:..workmen on the road between Killarney and Valencia, 1865 Creator: Unknown
Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable: encampment of workmen on the road between Killarney and Valencia, 1865. Engraving from a sketch by Robert Dudley

The Atlantic Telegraph, [1866]. Creator: Robert Charles Dudley
The Atlantic Telegraph, [1866]

The Atlantic Telegraph Cable Fleet Assembled at Berehaven (Southwest Coast of Ireland): Ships, the Great Eastern, H.M.S. Terrible, the Alby, the Medway and the William Cory, 1866

Landing the Shore End of the Atlantic Cable, 1866. Creator: Robert Charles Dudley
Landing the Shore End of the Atlantic Cable, 1866

The laying of the transatlantic telegraph cable, August 8th, 1866. Artist: Robert Dudley
The laying of the transatlantic telegraph cable, August 8th, 1866. The launching of the buoy marking the spot where the cable had been grappled

Sir William Thomson, Irish physicist and engineer, c1870s (1883). From William Ewart Gladstone and His Contemporaries, Vol. III, 1852-1860, by Thomas Archer, F.R.H.S

Cyrus West Field, American businessman and financier, c1849 (1955). It was through Fields (1819-1892) suggestion and financial aid that the first Atlantic cable was laid

Picking up the Atlantic cable, 1866 (c1880). An attempt in 1865 by Brunels giant steamship, the Great Eastern to lay a transatlantic telegraph cable ended in failure when the cable snapped

The Great Eastern recovering the lost Atlantic cable, 1866, (c1920). An attempt in 1865 by Brunels giant steamship, the Great Eastern to lay the cable ended in failure when the cable snapped

The Great Eastern playing out the Atlantic telegraph cable, c1865, (c1880). A print from Great Industries of Great Britain, Volume I, published by Cassell Petter and Galpin, (London, Paris, New York)

Laying the transatlantic telegraph cable, 1865. On the deck of the SS Great Eastern searching the cable for a fault after its recovery from the bottom of the Atlantic on 31 July 1865

Laying the transatlantic telegraph cable, 1865 (1866). Preparing to grapple for the broken cable from the bows of the SS Great Eastern, 2 August 1865

The Atlantic Telegraph, c1878. Idealised view of the telegraph cable passing under the ocean from Valentia, Ireland to Trinity Bay, Newfoundland

For Better or Worse, 1866. Father Neptune blessing Britannia and Uncle Sam on the successful laying of the transatlantic telegraph cable

Telegraph wire at the Greenwich works, c1865. The plate is one of 26 illustrations by Robert Dudley in The Atlantic Telegraph, a book by WH Russell, 1866

William Thomson, Lord Kelvin in 1869 (c1890). Kelvin (1824-1907) Irish-born Scottish mathematician and physicist

Lord Kelvin, Scottish physicist and mathematician, 1897. Artist: Spy
Lord Kelvin, Scottish physicist and mathematician, 1897. Born William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) was educated at Glasgow and Cambridge

Lord Kelvin, Irish-born Scottish mathematician and physicist, c1900. Born William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) was educated at Glasgow and Cambridge

Under the Dark Blue Waters, 1872. Artist: Joseph Swain
Under the Dark Blue Waters, 1872. Father Neptune wishes to relax with his drink and a pipe. In front of him is the trans-Atlantic cable, the first of its kind

A Word to the Mermaids, 1865. Artist: John Tenniel
A Word to the Mermaids, 1865. Neptune exclaims Aho-o-o-o-oy, There! Get Off O That Ere Cable, Can t Yer - Thats the Way T Other one was Wrecked!!

The Atlantic Telegraph - A bad look out for Despotism, 1858. John Bull calling to Jonathan Hold fast, Jonathan. Jonathan replying All right, Johnny

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Connecting Continents: The Remarkable Transatlantic Communications Cable" In 1866, a groundbreaking feat of engineering forever changed the course of global communication. Lord Kelvin, the brilliant Scottish mathematician and physicist, stood poised with his compass in hand, overseeing the momentous task ahead. James Craig Annan's artistic depiction captures the anticipation that filled the air. The Atlantic Telegraph project had been years in the making, driven by visionaries like Cyrus West Field, an American businessman and financier who believed in bridging vast distances through technology. Robert Charles Dudley's artwork immortalizes this pivotal moment as The Atlantic Telegraph cable fleet assembled off Ireland's southwest coast at Berehaven. With meticulous precision and unwavering determination, engineers embarked on a daring mission to lay the transatlantic telegraph cable across thousands of miles of treacherous ocean floor. Dudley's evocative illustration showcases their heroic efforts as they carefully landed the shore end of this lifeline between continents. Life at sea during these ventures was no easy feat; headlines from Crippens Life at Sea paint a vivid picture of both challenges faced and triumphs achieved. Yet amidst it all, progress prevailed. On August 8th, 1866 – captured beautifully by Robert Dudley – history witnessed Sir William Thomson overseeing the successful laying of this transformative cable. The Great Eastern ship played a central role throughout these endeavors; its sheer size allowed for immense lengths of cable to be carried across unforgiving waters. Picking up and recovering lost sections became part of its legacy – images preserved over time depict moments when hope seemed lost but was ultimately restored. As each mile unraveled beneath ocean depths, humanity drew closer together than ever before. The Great Eastern gracefully played out countless strands while laying down connections that would shape future generations' ability to communicate instantaneously across vast distances. This monumental achievement marked not only technological advancement but also symbolized unity among nations separated by an immense ocean.