A giant telescope presented as an art exhibition, links London and New York, allowing views in real-time of life across the Atlantic.

The installation is credited to the work of British artist Paul St George who, in conjunction with Italian Internet provider Tiscali, created this amazing, interactive display.

According to Tiscali, the transatlantic tunnel is really a transatlantic broadband network rounded off on each end with HD cameras.

The project is based on a fanciful, fictional history where the invention is known as the Telectroscope . The tale involves the artist’s supposed great-grandfather Alexander Stanhope St George, who even has his own fake Wikipedia page. Imagine the Telectroscope to be like a 19th century webcam, minus the sound, allowing people to see great distances and across time zones in real-time.

The 37-by-11-foot brass-and-wood telescope is placed near Tower Bridge on the banks of the Thames with the other end at Fulton Ferry Landing by the Brooklyn Bridge.

The project was underwritten by a grant from the British government and private sponsorship. The project cost about £400,000/$800,000

The Telectroscope is open to the public and is on display 24 hours a day until June 15. Use is free in New York but costs £1 in London.

Photo credit: cnn.com