Coiling the Cable in the Large Tanks at the Works of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company of Greenwich, 1865 1865

Robert Charles Dudley's 1865 watercolor, "Coiling the Cable in the Large Tanks at the Works of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company of Greenwich," depicts the interior of a factory in Greenwich, England. The drawing showcases the laborious process of coiling telegraph cables for transatlantic communication. The detail of the workers, the complex machinery, and the vast scale of the factory's interior are all captured with meticulous precision, providing a glimpse into the industrial world of the mid-19th century. The artwork is a testament to the technological advancements of the time and the role of industrial labor in their realization. The piece is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.