Snapshots of the Past

Atlantic telegraph polka The Niagara & Agamemnon commencing to lay the cable / J.H. Bufford's lith. – Antique Print

Atlantic telegraph polka The Niagara & Agamemnon commencing to lay the cable / J.H. Bufford's lith., Boston : published by Oliver Ditson & Co., c1858. — antique lithograph
Atlantic telegraph polka The Niagara & Agamemnon commencing to lay the cable / J.H. Bufford's lith., Boston : published by Oliver Ditson & Co., c1858.. Antique lithograph from the Niagara Falls collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This rare antique lithograph captures Atlantic telegraph polka The Niagara & Agamemnon commencing to lay the cable / J.H. Bufford's lith. in remarkable detail. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Atlantic telegraph polka The Niagara & Agamemnon commencing to lay the cable / J.H. Bufford's lith.

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Few sheet-music covers captured a technological milestone as directly as this polka, which shows the American frigate Niagara and the British ship Agamemnon at the start of laying the first transatlantic telegraph cable in 1858. The two ships met mid-ocean, spliced their cable ends, and paid it out toward Ireland and Newfoundland. Boston publisher Oliver Ditson issued the piece, and J.H. Bufford's lithograph turns the difficult work into a festive scene. The cable carried its first messages that August, but it failed within weeks, so the cheerful cover captures optimism just before the setback.

Created / publishedBoston : published by Oliver Ditson & Co., c1858.
Medium1 print : lithograph, color.
GenreSheet music covers 1850-1860.Lithographs Color 1850-1860.
NotesCopyright by Oliver Ditson & Co.
SubjectsSubmarine cables--1850-1860. Ships--American--1850-1860.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,152 × 1,462 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-218875

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