As part of the 150th anniversary of the first durable Trans-Atlantic telegraph

cables, Donard de Cogan is presenting a series of talks on the great enterprise and

its aftermath. On 21st March the Norwich Engineering Society heard

about the people who reported the events, using material from the IET

Archives. On 16th April the IET Ireland Network were told of the Irish

dimension.


This lecture in Savoy Place will trace the various expeditions (1857, 1858,

1865 and 1866). It will discuss the lessons learned from the early disasters

and near disasters and will cover the techniques used for testing the cable

during manufacture as well as during submersion; all part of a learning

exercise that ensured ultimate success during summer 1866. There will be a

display of historical artefacts relating to the lecture.


Donard’s career started in physical chemistry and then took a meandering

path through solid state physics, electrical and electronic engineering before

ending up as a computer scientist and numerical modeller at University of

East Anglia (UEA). His deep interest in telegraph communications has spanned 4 decades

and he is an established author on the subject. Donard is a Fellow of the IET,

an active Professional Registration Advisor and Assessor and a past Chair of

the IEE/IET History Group.


The lecture will be held in the Mountbatten Room, Savoy Place on Thursday 16 June. To register please email christopher.bruce@theiet.org or text 07804 207695.