Foilhummerum Bay, Valentia, Looking Seawards from the Point at Which the Cable Reaches the Shore of Ireland 1865–66 Robert Charles Dudley British One of the 19th century's great technological achievements was to lay a telegraphic cable beneath the Atlantic, allowing messages to speed back and forth between North America and Europe in minutes, rather than ten or twelve days by steamer. An initially successful attempt in 1858, led by Cyrus W. Field and financed by the Atlantic Telegraph Company, failed after three weeks. Two working cables were finally laid in July and September 1866, the result
Foilhummerum Bay, Valentia, Looking Seawards from the Point at Which the Cable Reaches the Shore of Ireland 1865–66 Robert Charles Dudley British One of the 19th century's great technological achievements was to lay a telegraphic cable beneath the Atlantic, allowing messages to speed back and forth between North America and Europe in minutes, rather than ten or twelve days by steamer. An initially successful attempt in 1858, led by Cyrus W. Field and financed by the Atlantic Telegraph Company, failed after three weeks. Two working cables were finally laid in July and September 1866, the result of repeated efforts by the indefatigable Field, a cadre of engineers, technicians, and sailors, two groups of financial backers, and significant help from the British and United States navies. This watercolor by Dudley shows the Irish bay where the cable entered the ocean from the east. Part of a series documenting the long, arduous process, this image was reproduced as a color lithograph in William H. Russell's 1866 book "The Atlantic Telegraph" ( and ). In 1892 Field donated art works by Dudley, a copy of Russell's book, commemorative medals, memorabilia, and specimens of cable to the Foilhummerum Bay, Valentia, Looking Seawards from the Point at Which the Cable Reaches the Shore of Ireland 383817 Artist: Robert Charles Dudley, British, 1826?1909, Foilhummerum Bay, Valentia, Looking Seawards from the Point at Which the Cable Reaches the Shore of Ireland, 1865?66, Watercolor over graphite with touches of gouache, Sheet: 6 5/16 ? 9 1/4 in. (16 ? cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Cyrus W. Field, 1892 ()
Size: 3622px × 2510px
Photo credit: © MET/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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