Telegraph Wire Collection

Telegraph poles following the transcontinental railroad
Linemen stringing telegraph wire beside the transcontinental railroad on the Great Plains, 1860s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

American Progress, 1872 (oil on canvas)
CH205269 American Progress, 1872 (oil on canvas) by Gast, John (1842-1896); Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; American, out of copyright

By Industry We Thrive, published by Kimmel and Voigt, 1873 (colour litho)
NYH177771 By Industry We Thrive, published by Kimmel and Voigt, 1873 (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Collection of the New-York Historical Society

The Transvaal War, Scenes at the Front (litho)
1592931 The Transvaal War, Scenes at the Front (litho) by Prior, Melton (1845-1910) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Transvaal War, Scenes at the Front, the Battle of Elandslaagte)

Manifest Destiny
American progress. Manifest Destiny'. Allegorical female figure of America leading pioneers and railroads westward. c.1850

CHICAGO: TRAFFIC, 1909. Congested traffic on Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois, looking southward from the intersection with Randolph Street, 1909. Photographed by Frank M. Hallenbeck

BOSTON SYMPHONY HALL. Boston Symphony Hall, home of Boston Symphony Orchestra, located on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. Built in 1900. Photograph, c1904

JAPAN: NIKKO, c1900. The Niomon at the entrance of the Taiyu-in Reibyo at the Rinno-ji temple complex in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Photograph, c1900

JAPAN: NIKKO, c1900. The walkway approaching the Nikko Toshogu in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Hand-colored photograph, c1900

AUSTRALIA: SYDNEY, c1900. A view of Bridge Street in Sydney, Australia. Photograph, c1900

IRELAND: DUBLIN, c1900. Monument of O Connell and Nelsons Pillar, Dublin, Ireland. Stereograph, c1900

GERMANY: FERRY LANDING. Ferry landing on the Danube River in Bavaria, Germany. Etching, 1879, by Otto H. Bacher

WORLD WAR I: ITALIAN FRONT. Italian signal station in the Italian Alps during World War I. Photograph, c1916

YALE UNIVERSITY, c1910. Students leaving Battell Chapel at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Photograph, c1910

Crowds at Station. 1935

Swanley Bridge. 1935

Burning grass on railway banks, Slades Green. 1937

Transcontinental Railroad celebration C016 / 4567
Transcontinental Railroad celebration. Horsemen, engineers and workers celebrating the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the USA

Laying Transcontinental Railroad, 1860s C013 / 9004
Laying Transcontinental Railroad. Workers in around 1868, in Nevada, USA, constructing part of the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) section of the Transcontinental Railroad

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, 1908. Crowds in St. Louis, Missouri, gathered at the intersection of 12th Street and Delmar Boulevard to hear Republican candidate William Howard Taft (at rear of streetcar)

TELEGRAPHY, 1889. Disorderly telegraph wires on lower Broadway, New York City. Wood engraving, American, 1889

ELECTRIC STREETLIGHT, 1881. One of the first electric streetlights in New York City, erected at Madison Square in 1881. Contemporary American engraving

NYC: HOME INDUSTRY, 1890. An immigrant family carrying piecework along Hester Street to their tenement home on New York Citys Lower East Side. Wood engraving, American, 1890, after W.A. Rogers

Danger ahead for a steam locomotive
Flagger warning a railroad crew to brake for danger ahead on the tracks. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

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"Connecting a Continent: The Telegraph Wire and the Transcontinental Railroad" In the late 19th century, as Manifest Destiny propelled American progress westward, an innovative technology emerged that would forever change communication - the telegraph wire. Stretching across vast landscapes, these wires were supported by sturdy telegraph poles following the transcontinental railroad, symbolizing both human ingenuity and America's unstoppable march towards its destiny. Captured in iconic works of art like "American Progress" (1872) by John Gast, this technological marvel became a visual representation of progress itself. Depicted alongside pioneers and settlers forging their way through untamed frontiers, the telegraph wire stood tall as a testament to mankind's ability to conquer distance and connect far-flung communities. Prints such as "By Industry We Thrive" (1873) showcased bustling cities where these wires hummed with vital information. Meanwhile, lithographs like "The Transvaal War, Scenes at the Front" depicted how this revolutionary communication system played a role even in global conflicts. As urban centers grew more congested over time - exemplified by images like "CHICAGO: TRAFFIC, 1909" - it was clear that society had become reliant on this network for rapid transmission of news and commerce. From Boston Symphony Hall to Nikko Toshogu in Japan or Bridge Street in Sydney captured in photographs from around 1900, no corner of civilization seemed untouched by this web of connectivity. Yet amidst all its triumphs lay reminders of history frozen in time. Monumental structures like O'Connell and Nelson's Pillar stood proud on Dublin streetscapes at the turn of the century; silent witnesses to Ireland's own journey towards modernity facilitated by technologies such as telegraphy. The telegraph wire bridged gaps not only between people but also between nations and continents. It united humanity under one virtual roof where ideas could be shared, news disseminated, and progress achieved.