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Machine Used to Strand Transatlantic Cable, 1860-1865

1860/1865

The Henry Ford

The Henry Ford
Dearborn, MI, United States

Laying telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean in the 1860s was a huge undertaking. This massive cable stranding machine was used in Greenwich, England to wind together the different elements of the cable: iron for strength, copper for conductivity, gutta-percha rubber for insulation, and tarred hemp for durability. Following several failed attempts, the heavy, flexible cable was laid successfully by the SS Great Eastern in 1866.

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  • Title: Machine Used to Strand Transatlantic Cable, 1860-1865
  • Date Created: 1860/1865
  • Location: Atlantic Ocean, Ireland, Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Subject Keywords: Field, Cyrus W. (Cyrus West), 1819-1892, Great Eastern (Steamship), Transatlantic cables, Telegraphs, Communication
  • Type: Objects
  • Contributor: The Henry Ford
  • Original Source: http://collections.thehenryford.org/Collection.aspx?objectKey=212700
  • Object Name: Cable strander
  • Object ID: 31.442.1
  • Image ID: THF98041
  • Credit: From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Anaconda Wire & Cable Co.
The Henry Ford

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