The Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cable
150th Anniversary 1858 – 2008
Providing an operational telegraph cable than spanned the Atlantic Ocean was, for many, the stuff of science fiction. Especially in 1858 when the principles of electricity were understood only by a few and the telephone and electric light bulb were a little under twenty years in the future.
Read the fascinating story of how in 1858 the impossible was achieved and the old and new worlds became connected for the first time by a direct electrical communications link.
In 2008 we celebrated the 150th anniversary of this great achievement with four Family Telecommunications Days, an Institution of Engineering and Technology Colloquium and a public lecture entitled, “The Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cable – the birth of global communications”. The Family Telecommunications Days held on the 5th and 6th August 2008 celebrated the anniversary of the landing of the cable and were attended by over 2,000 people. A similar set of Family Telecommunications Days held on 25th and 26th October 2008 attracted a further 2,500 visitors.
IET Colloquium
The Story of Transatlantic Communications
Tuesday 28th October 2008
Institution of Engineering and Technology
Held at the Museum of Science and Industry
This colloquium was co-sponsored by the University of Salford, Museum of Science and Industry and the IET Manchester Network and was attended by 70 people.
It featured the following papers:
- Introduction and Overview
- First steps to transatlantic – crossing the Irish Sea 1852-1854
- Background to the 1858 telegraph cable
- John Pender and Manchester’s contribution
- Insights into the landing of the 1858 cable
- Lord Kelvin’s contribution to submarine telegraphy
- Marconi and the first transatlantic wireless links
- The first transatlantic Telephone Cable System – Linking the old and new worlds
- Telstar – the birth of transatlantic satellite communications
- Transatlantic communications – the present and future
The above papers were published in the following digest:
The Story of Transatlantic Communications
ISBN: 978-0-86341-975-1
Available from:
The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Library and Archives
Savoy Place
London
WC2R 0BL
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7344 8407
Web: www.theiet.org/archives
Public Lecture: The Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cable – the birth of global communications !
This lecture was presented by Professor Nigel Linge and Professor David Parsons from the University of Salford on Tuesday 28th October 2008 immediately following the IET Colloquium.
It was attended by over 80 people and told the story of the evolution of electrical communication, the business driving force of the Lancashire Cotton industry, the background to the 1857 and 1858 cable laying missions, the design of the cable and the technical challenges faced before an operational cable could be achieved. Following the 1858 short lived success, the lecture continued the story to the subsequent 1865 and 1866 missions and how these sparked a global revolution in terms of the laying of submarine cables which by 1902 had encircled the globe. The lecture concluded by bringing the story up to date with reference to the TAT14 cable and modern cable laying ships and techniques. Read more about this fascinating story.