The Telectroscope

"Hardly anyone knows that a secret tunnel runs deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean. In May 2008, more than a century after it was begun, the tunnel has finally been completed. An extraordinary optical device called a Telectroscope has been installed at both ends which miraculously allows people to see right through the Earth from London to New York and vice versa..."

Or so goes the story...continued at http://www.tiscali.co.uk/telectroscope/

Stephen and Blair with the Telectroscope (I hope that lever doesn't do anything...)

Although we were skeptical, on Sunday we took the chance to visit a very cool art installation linking Tower Bridge in London with Brooklyn Bridge in New York. The link is visual only, but at both ends was a whiteboard so you could send messages. One couple opposite us (i.e. in New York) were coming to London in 2009 to get married (and invited everyone along...) while another were expecting a baby in a few weeks. The weather was beautiful there, too, which was a dramatic contrast to our grey day.

The sign says 'we get married May 2nd 2009 in London - can you make it?'

Sometimes communications went better than others...

The only slightly disappointing thing was that while it was 3pm in London it was 9am in NY, so while we queued, they were wandering in and out freely... Regardless, it was very Victorian in style, and a poignant reminder of an age when anything seemed possible with enough determination...