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Scrambled Messages: The Telegraphic Imaginary 1857-1900
Between 1857 and 1866 the Victorian public’s attention was caught by the drama of repeated attempts to lay a submarine cable across the Atlantic for the transmission of telegraphic messages.Much like the Internet, from the moment of its inception the transatlantic telegraph became the focus of hyperbole, inspiring visions of perfect communication across vast distances. However, over subsequent decades it became apparent that this technology faced a range of technical constraints. Paradoxically, the telegraph was imagined as a perfect form of communication, whilst at the same time rendering up incomprehensible and damaged messages.