do you believe in the telectroscope?

Not One Tunnel, But Many Tunnels!

Before he flitted off to New York again (via the Tunnel presumably), I was lucky enough to bump into Paul St George at a drinks party where he was being much feted by suited business types and mustachioed impresarios.

There was a whiff of Money and Intrigue about the place, fuelled by Paul's revelation that there is not just one Tunnel but many Tunnels!

Apparently it is perfectly possible for a Telectroscope to be 'retuned' as 'twere to connect to locations other than New York. Rumours abounded at the drinks party about plans to open Telectroscopes as far away as Tokyo, Rome - and even Southampton.

It's clear that Paul is attracting the attention of some truly unsavoury types. He seems confident however that he will remain in full control of his fantastical device and not fall prey to base commercial pressures. I left the party wondering if I would ever see Paul again.

Seeing Alison At The End of the Tunnel

It was quite delightful to see my friend Alison at the other end of the Tunnel recently. It is quite a different experience to communicate with someone you actually know via the Telectroscope, rather than wave at strangers:

I now appreciate how the Londonist blogger felt when making contact with her brother:

"We’re both there at the agreed-upon time, and I jump when I see him. Though not life-size, he seems close by – as though through binoculars I’ve just spotted him on the banks of the Thames not far from where I stand. Except that that’s the Brooklyn Bridge behind him.

He waves. I wave. He waves again. I wave again. We stop and stare at each other. So I wave some more. We’ve been communicating in some form or another for 24 years, but this renders us ineffectual.

Unable to talk to him, I turn to the crowd of strangers on my end and do something I don’t usually do and in retrospect find deeply disturbing: I talk to them. “That’s my brother over there!” This elicits the appropriate “aw” I had been aiming for.

Now they too wave at him. I become aware that I’m talking (and probably gesticulating wildly) at the Telectroscope even though he can’t hear me. He’s shrugging at me and shaking his head. Finally, he pulls out his mobile and motions for me to call him. I do, and we have a good laugh about how ridiculous the whole thing felt."

A Meeting of Pugs

Paul St George has sent me a copy of his correspondence with a man who claims to have taken his dog to see to the Telectroscope in Brooklyn. Could it be true that dogs can hear people at the other end of the Tunnel?!

Dear Mr. St George

Congratulations! A brilliant installation. I have just returned from Brooklyn with my 14 year old fawn pug Maggie. I did not realize your artwork would be there.

I think of the various obstacles to arrive there at that very moment. I woke up in Manhattan to a sunny, breezy, Memorial Day holiday, not knowing what I would do today. A decision where to go, then a walk, a bus ride, a train ride, and then a walk again, brought me to the Brooklyn Fulton Landing.

When I arrived I saw the “contraption” I had heard about. I got on line and  wrote a sign. That allowed others to get in front of me. Then, at approximately 1:13 pm EST (New York Time), I peered into your “Telectrocope”  holding Maggie, my pug and the  sign “Maggie the Pug, Send Pounds”. On the other side at that very moment was a woman in  London  holding a Black Pug peering back through the “Telectroscope”. The Pugs waved to each other.

As you know pugs were a favorite in Victorian Times (Queen Victoria banned the cropping of their ears). I have been a creator of pug lore and embellished  history but truth is always stranger than fiction. This event was captured by CW Channel 11 News to be broadcast 10:00pm EST, New York. There over 150 different breeds. To have two pugs (unknown to each other) show up at the same time may be a quality that the Tibetan Monks bred for in the first place, their intuition.

All the best. John
Founder Pug Hill, NYC
www.pughill.org

Paul St George replies:

This is so special! Thank you for telling me. Can we please include your story in our blogs?

You know that dogs can hear through the Telectroscope?

Paul

To which John replies:

Paul: Please feel free to include this (and anything below) on your blog (first names if you please). If you look at the picture I previously attached, the angle of Maggie’s ears clearly show she is hearing at a frequency and pitch that could only be heard by canines and other animals.

It is obvious that it amplifies lower volume and higher pitch sounds heard by canines.

Sometimes, invention has the most unexpected consequences! I continue to tell friends and strangers about his wonderful event. We are sorry that it will come to a close. Finally, we would love to track down the London Pug. It has been a pleasure to be introduced to your artistic talent.

All the best, John

A Triumph in Transatlantic Telectroscopic Relations

Saturday was a triumph in international telectroscopic relations with steampunks of various stripes and colour gathering at both ends of the tunnel. Very good descriptions of events have been published by mlleviolet and andyravensable

Without the aid of pens & whiteboards (curiously absent) the persons concerned still managed to conduct an experiment and make a connection.

Watch the video carefully. At both ends of the tunnel there appears to be a man in matching flat hat, waistcoat and trousers:

How does Paul St Geoge manage to be at both ends of the tunnel at once?