May 22, 2008 07:00 PM
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The Telectroscope is more than a giant telescope—looking through its lens in NYC, you can see all the way to London—and vice versa. These steampunk creations were unveiled today in the two cities to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge. Artist Paul St George's Victorian-style gold and wood trim make the behemoth-size scopes impressive to look at, but the most amazing part is how he claims they work.
St George says in the 19th century his great-grandfather, Alexander Stanhope St George, built a trans-Atlantic tunnel from London to New York which was forgotten by time. The artist discovered his great-grandfather's plans recently and using the diagrams installed parabolic mirrors at both locations that reflect what's happening 3500 miles across the pond. Now, I can't say for sure since I haven't seen the Telectroscope in person, but a picture in the gallery above suggests a more logical explanation that involves built-in webcams and broadband internet sending live video in both directions. Either way, the scope looks fantastic and I can't wait to check it out.
The Telectroscopes are on display 24/7 until June 15. New Yorkers can check out the Brits by heading to Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn; Londoners will need to head to Tower Bridge if they want their fix of spying on the Yanks. [Telectroscope via Gothamist 1, 2]
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