Held on the 10 September 2021, the PK150 Connected Collections Symposium presented the research projects by the 2021 Citizen Curators and International Student Volunteers.
The Naval Shipworm
Jay Hollis explores how the naval shipworm (Teredo navalis) had an intricate part to play in the history of telegraphy. Jay also shares his blog series STRANDS created as part of his research into the PK Archive.
The End of the Grappler
Duncan Mackenzie explores the fateful story of the cableship Grappler which got caught in the pyroclastic flow of the Mont Pelée volcano eruption of 1902. Part of our cableship blog series.
Strategic Implementation of the Telegraph in India
International student Prabhat Rathva, India, has investigated gutta-percha, a material used in cable insulation, and the ecological impact this has had on the forests of Southeast Asia.
Recovering the Titanic’s Dead: the Mackay-Bennett
Our Digital Collections Officer, Duncan Mackenzie, looks at the cable ship the Mackay-Bennett and it’s role in recovering the deceased from the Titanic.
India Then & Now
Hannah and Rutvi have created the film India Then & Now, a short film exploring the impact of the telegraph system on language use in India.
Living and Working in the Far East: Singapore Telegraph Station
Jasmine and Nadia’s project explores the life of telegraph workers at the Singapore station. They have created a website and a film that shows the archival material at PK that links to the Singapore station.
Tropical Plantations: Extraction and Regulating Laws
International student Prabhat Rathva, India, looks at Tropical Plantations, the extraction of the materials and the regulation laws.
Gutta-Percha: Ecological Impacts and Unsustainability
International student Prabhat Rathva, India, has investigated gutta-percha, a material used in cable insulation, and the ecological impact this has had on the forests of Southeast Asia.
Telegraph in Zimbabwe: A tool of imperialism
International student Ian Mugowa has researched the impact of the telegraph in Zimbabwe and the extension of the British Empire, inspired by material in the PK Archives.
Five (-ish) Cableships called Retriever
Our Digital Collections Officer, Duncan Mackenzie, explores the history of five cableships, each named Retriever.
The Languages of Telegraphy
Citizen curator Hannah Reeves, researched the Marconi Map, created in 1917. The map is colour coded to show the language most used for communications in each country.