The Telectroscope

The backstory is this. In the Victorian age, an engineer named Alexander Stanhope St George visited the recently-completed Brooklyn Bridge and was enchanted by the ambition and ingenuity that went into its design and construction. He was less thrilled, however, with the arduous, stormtossed journey required to reach the bridge from his cheery home in England. He hit upon the concept of a complex configuration of mirrors and lenses which would allow the curious to see down the shaft of a transatlantic tunnel spanning the two continents. A "telectroscope," as it would come to be known. At first popular enthusiasm was high as St George set out to execute his idea, the romance of connecting London to New York bolstering support among the populations of both nations. The fanciful tales of Jules Verne were highly celebrated at the time and this eccentric scheme gripped the imagination in a similar fashion. However a tragic cave-in soon dampened the spirits and eventually St George was forced to abandon the project as enthusiasm waned and skilled workers became scarce. He died heartbroken in an asylum in 1917.

A century later, his descendant, an artist named Paul St George, discovered a dusty trunk in his grandmother's attic. Inside were diaries, diagrams, sketches, and various other documents concerning the ill-fated Telectroscope. Seized with inspiration, he set about making his great-grandfather's vision a reality.

In May of 2008 the Telectroscope was finally opened to the public. It took over a century, but now, at last, Asian tourists in New York can peer into the lens and see Asian tourists in London waving back at them.









Sadly the exhibit closed on June 15th. The Telectroscope is to be dismantled and the transatlantic tunnel filled in. Presumably something to do with Homeland Security.

The Ghosts of Asbury Park

Once an opulent seaside resort, now a haven for derelicts. Careful not to step on any discarded syringes in the sand.