The North Atlantic telegraph via the Færöe Isles, Iceland, and Greenland : Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain, January 28th and February 11th, 1861.

The collection captures a pivotal moment when Victorian ambition turned toward spanning the Atlantic with a single line of telegraph. It follows the early proposals, the setbacks caused by war and competing projects, and the renewed enthusiasm that sparked a series of surveying expeditions across the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland. Detailed reports from engineers, naval commanders and geographers reveal the painstaking work of mapping coastlines, measuring deep‑sea soundings and testing cable‑laying techniques, all aimed at overcoming the harsh Arctic environment.

Listeners will be guided through vivid maps, diagrams and more than a hundred stereoscopic views that bring remote farms, towering fjords and bustling ports to life. The proceedings also include technical sketches of circuitry and model stations, illustrating how messages could travel instantly from Europe to America. Together, the material offers a rich, on‑the‑ground sense of the scientific optimism and logistical challenges that defined this bold 19th‑century communication dream.