This is too cool. Meet the Telectroscope - a device that lets people in London and New York see each other in real time. Straight out of something from Jules Verne, this experimental installation is the work of Paul St. George who offers this story of the genesis of the Telectroscope:

Some years ago an artist by the name of Paul St George happened upon a packet of dusty papers in a trunk in his grandmother’s attic. On further inspection he discovered that they had been the property of his great-grandfather, an eccentric Victorian engineer, Alexander Stanhope St George.

Paul began to read through the papers and discovered a veritable treasure trove: diaries, diagrams, correspondence, scribbled calculations, and even one or two photographs. At first, Paul felt a detached interest in this first hand account of social and cultural history. But as he read on, he became more and more absorbed, until, with a sudden thrill, he realised that these papers could have a greater significance than was at first apparent.

The notebooks were full of intricate drawings and passages of writing describing a strange machine. This device looked like an enormous telescope with a strange bee-hive shaped cowl at one end containing a complex configuration of mirrors and lenses. Alexander seemed to be suggesting that this invention, which he called a Telectroscope, would act as a visual amplifier, allowing people to see through a tunnel of immense length… a tunnel, the drawings implied, stretching from one side of the world to the other.

If you happen to be in NYC or London soon, you can check out the kooky invention here:

The Telectroscope is situated at Fulton Ferry Landing near Brooklyn Bridge. Fulton Ferry Landing, Old Fulton Street, Brooklyn NY – 11201
Subway: Lines A and C to High Street or F to York Street

In London, the Telectroscope is situated on the south side of the river near Tower Bridge. More London Riverside, London SE1 2DB

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