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Primary sourceDocument16 August 1858

Tickertape, Queen Victoria, 1858

Queen Victoria · 16 August 1858

The original paper tape recording Queen Victoria's message to US President James Buchanan, sent over the first transatlantic telegraph cable in 1858.

Victoria composed and sent this message herself, marking the monarchy's role in new transatlantic communication.

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A long roll of pale paper tape wound around two thin wooden rods, lying on a light grey surface. The tape is folded into a coil with its edges visible, and a loose strip of handwritten paper extends from one end.
Tickertape of Queen Victoria's message to President James Buchanan, 16 August 1858. Royal Collection, RCIN 84450.

About this source

What it is

This is the original tickertape recording of a message from Queen Victoria to the President of the United States, James Buchanan, sent by submarine cable from Ireland to Newfoundland on 16 August 1858. It is ink on paper, held in the Royal Collection under reference RCIN 84450.

Why it matters

This was the first official message ever sent across the Atlantic by cable, connecting Britain and the United States almost instantly for the first time in history. In her message, Victoria congratulated the President on the achievement and described the cable as a new link between the two nations. The object shows the monarchy engaging directly with a major new communications technology and using it to express diplomatic friendship.

Look closer

  • What does the choice of words in the message suggest about how Victoria wanted Britain's relationship with the United States to be seen?
  • Why might sending this message by the Queen herself, rather than a government minister, have mattered?
  • What does the physical form of the tickertape tell you about the technology of the time?

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