As a kid, I was always getting in trouble for digging humongous holes in my grandmother’s backyard, which I presumed would take me to the other side of the world. Depending on my accuracy, I’m guessing that would have landed me off the south western shore of Australia, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Cooler heads prevailed, and sadly my vision never came to fruition. Recently my dreams were rekindled when I discovered a glass tunnel connecting New York and London. Dubbed the telectroscope, it’s a project designed and partly executed by late 1800s inventor Alexander Stanhope St. George, which he started and later abandoned over 100 years ago. The looking-glass tunnel starts in Brooklyn and runs all the way under the Atlantic to merry old London. The telectroscope uses a series of mirrors, cameras and a large underground tunnel, to connects the two cities.
St. George was passionately committed to the idea of being able to connect London and New York without having to move. He constructed parts of a great shaft which unfortunately collapsed on many of his workers in 1892, hence the project was put on hold. His successor, Paul St. George, stumbled upon the original blueprints and details and brought the telectroscope back to life. The telectroscope is now complete and open 24 hours a day. It’s New York location is on the Fulton Ferry Landing near the Brooklyn Bridge, and the London scope is on the South side of the river near the London Bridge. It will be open until June 15th, you are encouraged to Email ahead of time if you’re going to meet someone on the other side, as staff will let you cut in front.
