Skip to main content

The Atlantic Cable

The first current sent through the transatlantic cable stretching from Valentia Island, Ireland to White Sand Bay, Newfoundland was in 1866.  The message was sent by Latimer Clark.  After a few unsuccessful attempts he came up with the idea of making a small electric cell from a touch of sulphuric acid, a little bit of zinc and a smidgen of silver.

 

The silver came from a thimble like the one above. It was lent to him by Emily Fitzgerald, the daughter of the Knight of Kerry.  Emily's thimble generated enough current to send the signal 3,700 miles across the Atlantic in a mere second.  Imagine that - high speed communication - from a thimble! The thimble now resides in the London Science Museum.You can see a picture of it here.

This particular design of thimble is now known as the Atlantic Cable thimble.  The one pictured above is from my collection. I think it's from around 1870 judging by the tallness and slightly domed top.  It's been used, is a bit dinted in places and is slightly out of the round. That's a strange turn of phrase I know.  It basically means it's more of an oval shape than circular.  Silver is an incredibly soft metal so thimbles are easily damaged through use. 
 
Signs of wear and tear on a thimble like this one are a good thing. They show the previous use and help collectors piece together the story behind the thimble's history. Was it a well used sewing utensil? Or a precious gift from a loved one? To be kept safe, protected from harm? Who knows. But it's part of the charm of thimble collecting to try to piece the story together.

I really must look into visiting the museum in London to see Emily's thimble close up. I bet it's got a fantastic story to tell!

Bye for now 

Olly   

Facebook.com/olwenwhite/
instagram.com/olwenwhitewrites/
Twitter @OlwenWhite

Labels:

Comments

  1. Ruth O'Leary4 September 2010 at 15:22

    That's fascinating! I never knew that. It makes you wonder what other hidden stories there are behind great events.

    ReplyDelete
  2. David M.Blass20 August 2024 at 14:30

    Thank you for this insightful post! I appreciate how you’ve clearly explained the topic. It’s refreshing to find content that is both informative and engaging. Your writing encourages deeper thinking, and I’m looking forward to reading more of your work. Keep up the great job—your efforts are truly appreciated!
    Enrgtech
    Helagrip Slide On Cable Marker

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thimbles Silver Hallmarks

  Did you know that before the 1880’s silver thimbles did not need to be hallmarked? No? Well, although the silver used was the correct grade to be classified as sterling, the amount used per thimble was too small making the duty payable for the hallmark more than the thimble was worth. This changed in 1884 when applying for a hallmark became mandatory. Hallmarks or any other kind of marking on a thimble helps to date it. Even the little dimples can help you tell how old it is.   This thimble is hallmarked. They are a bit tricky to read sometimes as they are incredibly small and sometimes are worn, especially when the thimble has been well used like this one. I inherited this one from my mother-in-law, who probably inherited it from her mother. This hallmark gives the makers mark, CH for Charles Horner; the Lion symbol, indicating that it is sterling silver, the mark for Chester Assay office and the date letter. The date letter is for 1897. I mentioned in an ear...
5 comments
Read more

A Passage of Time

Hi all, Time flies doesn't it? Seems like only yesterday when I last posted to this blog. Can't believe it was March 2015! I think I must have been asleep because I have no idea why it has taken so long to post. These thimbles show the passage of time. All of it a lot before mine, I hasten to add. These little ladies show the changes in fashion in the United States from 1900 through to 1947. Originally part of a collection from Avon in the1980s. The four above are from left to right, 1910, 1900, 1928 & 1927. These four are 1923, 1938, 1942 & 1947. The 1920s must have been a great decade for fashion in the US, with 3 examples from that era included in the collection. In fact the 20s were a time of great change and not just for clothes. It was the interim period between two world wars. People thought that with the end of the First World War, conflict was over and there was a new, vibrant, buzz for the future. It was the age of bobbed hair, the Char...
13 comments
Read more

A Thimble Trail

Hi all, Lots of places have souvenir thimbles which can be taken home as a small memento of a journey to a far away place, a visit to an historic building, a theme park, or even a popular tourist attraction.   Most of the souvenir thimbles in my collection have either been given to me by friends and relatives or purchased in charity shops or from ebay.    Rather than being a record of places that I have been they are more of a wish list - a thimble trail of places I would like to visit. One of my friends brought this back from a recent trip to Scotland. I picked the next couple up from Ebay. Both Scotland and the Lake District are places that I haven't been to yet but would like to. That isn't the only thing they have in common.  They are both a bit soggy and grey at the moment so maybe that's a trip I should save for summer months ☺. In the meantime, here are some thimbles with ...
5 comments
Read more