The transatlantic cable that connected Europe to North America was heralded as the “eighth wonder of the world” in July 1866 when it was completed.
“That was hugely revolutionary at the time”
That copper cable revolutionised communication; what had taken days and weeks, now took mere hours, and it was accomplished after three failed attempts to lay the cable
Last year was the 150th anniversary of the feat.
That’s when Irish artist, Padraig Trarrant revealed the first part of his work on the shore of Valentia Island off the coast of Ireland.
At the location of the European starting point, Tarrant sculpted a replica of a bollard, the posts on docks used to tie up large ships.
Last Thursday, the other piece of the installation was revealed, in Newfoundland.
The sculpture in Heart’s Content, is reminder of what Tarrant described as one of the most important achievements in human history, the moment when people could instantaneously communicate across nearly 4,000 kilometres of ocean, instead of having to rely on weeks of sea travel to send a message, as he told CBC Newfoundland’s program, On the Go.
“That was hugely revolutionary at the time,” he said.
“The idea that you could tap out a message and it get there was a game changer. The internet and cellular communication is an advancement on that, but I think that was a huge, huge step.”
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