Coiling the Cable in the After-tank on Board the Great Eastern at Sheerness: Visit of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales on May 23rd, 1865

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 Edward, Prince of Wales visiting the Great Eastern at Sheerness to inspect cable being coiled into one of three huge holding tanks. The ship carried 2,400 miles of cable weighing 4,000 pounds per nautical mile when it left the Kent coast in July 1865. 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" (92.10.100 and 61.536.5). In 1892 Field donated art works by Dudley, a copy of Russell's book, commemorative medals, memorabilia, and specimens of cable to the Museum.

Credit: Gift of Cyrus W. Field, 1892