The Atlantic Telegraph 1865 - 1866

Sir William Howard Russell created this print, "The Atlantic Telegraph," using lithography, a printmaking process where a design is drawn on a flat stone or metal plate and then transferred to paper. The print depicts the Trinity Bay Newfoundland telegraph house, emphasizing the human endeavor required to establish the first communication lines across the Atlantic. Consider the labor involved: from quarrying the lithographic stone, to the skilled draftsmanship needed to create the image, to the construction of the telegraph house itself and the laying of the cable. The artist transforms industrial advancement into a picturesque scene, but the image's impact relies on our awareness of the immense material effort behind this technological leap. The print thus prompts us to think about the relationship between artistic labor and other forms of work. Appreciating this connection challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft, highlighting how both are fundamentally tied to materials, making, and their broader social context.