"Via Eastern". The Eastern and Associated Telegraph Companies Cable System. Submarine Cables of the World.

ASSOCIATED TELEGRAPH COMPANIES.

Published by LondonWaterlow & Sons May ., 1927

About this Item

Original colour lithographed map of the world (45.5 x 99 cm) backed onto linen and folding between original red cloth boards with gilt lettering and marbled endpapers. Submarine cables are shown in red. Light sunning to cloth covers, map generally in excellent condition. In 1872 the Eastern Telegraph Co. (ETC) was created by John Pender through the amalgamation and reorganisation of several companies. It was to become the largest cable operating company in the world and at its peak it operated 160,000 nautical miles of cables (Grace's Guide to British Industrial History). In 1925 a method of regenerating submarine telegraph signals automatically came into use which led to large scale redundancies amongst operators at the various relay stations throughout the network. This enabled the company to reduce costs; however, the benefit was short lived. When the short wave 'Beam' system developed by Marconi, and operated by the GPO, came into service during 1926-27 the E&A found itself with serious problems. Within six months of the service (known as Empiradio) opening, it took away 65% of the Eastern and Eastern Extension social traffic, resulting in considerable loss of profit. They were not the only ones to suffer, the Pacific cable also lost a considerable amount of traffic, a case of a government owned cable system losing business to a government owned wireless telegraph system. Consequently at the end of 1927, the Chairman of the group, Sir John Denison Pender, approached the Government of the day to ask for help. The alternative was to liquidate the group and pay out the shareholders. Negotiations took place between the cable companies, Marconi's company and the Government. The outcome was a merger of the two. On the 8th of April 1929 the new operating company Imperial & International Communications Ltd. And the holding company Cables & Wireless Ltd., came into being.

Seller Inventory # 63039

Bibliographic Details

• Title: "Via Eastern". The Eastern and Associated Telegraph Companies Cable System. Submarine Cables of the World.
• Publisher: LondonWaterlow & Sons May .
• Publication Date: 1927
• Binding: Hardcover
• Seller catalogs:
  • MAPS - WORLD