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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   

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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

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