Section of the First Transatlantic Cable, 1858
Add to SetSummary
Telegraphs could be sent wherever wires could be hung in the 1850s, but hardwiring signals between transoceanic continents required a feat of engineering. In 1858, a team laid underwater cable across the Atlantic and sent a successful telegram. Though the cable soon failed, pieces were sold as souvenirs in Charles Tiffany's renowned jewelry store as symbols of speed and progress.
Telegraphs could be sent wherever wires could be hung in the 1850s, but hardwiring signals between transoceanic continents required a feat of engineering. In 1858, a team laid underwater cable across the Atlantic and sent a successful telegram. Though the cable soon failed, pieces were sold as souvenirs in Charles Tiffany's renowned jewelry store as symbols of speed and progress.
Artifact
Transatlantic cable
Date Made
1858
Creators
Place of Creation
United Kingdom, England, Sheffield
Creator Notes
Cable possibly made by Sheffield Works of Sheffield, England. Box made in the 1970s.
Keywords
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
74.89.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Copper (Metal)
Paper (Fiber product)
Wood (Plant material)
Inscriptions
Lid of box: ORIGINAL TRANSATLANTIC CABLE / 1858 / GUARANTEED BY / Tiffany & Co. Brass ferrule: ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE / GUARANTEED BY / TIFFANY & CO. / BROADWAY - NEW YORK
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