An Atlantic Telegraph: The Transcendental Cable, by Robert Dalton Harris & Diane DeBlois: A Monograph of the Ephemera Society of America, 1994.

"In broad generalization the wonderful development of modern times can be traced to three eras--the Crusades, the discovery of America, and the laying of the Atlantic cable." So said Chauncey M. Depew in 1895 at the unveiling of a huge painting by Daniel Huntington of Cyrus Field and his fellow "Telegraph Projectors," commissioned by the New York Chamber of Commerce.

Despite being a private commercial venture, the trans-Atlantic telegraph was seen as a potential triumph for Christianity over the heathen, and even though it was a project that benefited mostly from British technology and was funded principally by the English, it was seen as an American triumph.

What was there about the trans-Atlantic cable that so generally and distinctly inspired Americans? What sense of self inspired America's euphoric vision of a global village? It is when we look at contemporary ephemera, including pamphlets, sermons, broadsides, and other items issued by the popular press of the day that we can understand the power that the cable had in inspiring a new world view.

Containing nearly 75 illustrations, this publication includes informative text and a comprehensive sampling of ephemera associated with the Atlantic cable.

Black and white photocopy version available for $12.00 plus $1.50 for postage. Order from the Ephemera Society of America, PO Box 95, Cazenovia, NY 13035 or visit the online store.