Communications Cable

Up Catalog

Trans-Oceanic Cables
 

     On October 31, 1902, the Pacific Cable was opened, and on December 15th of the same year, Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) sent the first radio message across the Atlantic Ocean, from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, to Poldhu, England.
     In 1879 Sir Sandford Fleming (1827-1915) proposed an 'all-British' expanded telegraph route which was to run from the west coast of Vancouver Island across the ocean floor to the first relay station on Fanning Island, on to Fiji, Norfolk Island, Southport (Australia) and Auckland (New Zealand). The cable station at Bramfield  was officially opened on October 31, 1902, and on the very next day the first 'world-circulating telegraph message' was delivered to Lord Minto, the Governor General of Canada, after circling the globe.
     Featured on the right-hand Communications stamp is a portrait of Marconi in 1896 complimented by a postcard picture of Marconi Wireless Station in Glace Bay and Marconi's signature; and featured on the left-hand stamp is a portrait of Fleming surrounded by the cable ship Iris at Bramfield and Fleming's signature. It is not clear what projection was used for the map.
     The stamps were issued in 2000 to mark the centennials of the first telegraph message sent over the trans-Pacific cable, and the first trans-Atlantic radio message.

SCN 1963-1964

Danish-Russian Undersea Cable

     The stamp shows the route of an under-sea communications cable from Denmark to Russia. It was issued to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Danish-Russian relations in 1993. Russia issued a similar stamp (SCN 6154).

SCN 985

Japanese-Russian Cable

     The stamp commemorates the completion of the undersea cable between Naoetsu, Japan and Nakhodka, Russia in 1969.

SCN 993

  Next