Old Feather Store, North Street 1893

Curator: This is Henry Robertson’s etching, "Old Feather Store, North Street." Its dimensions are roughly 14 by 19 centimeters. What's your first take? Editor: It feels haunted. All these crammed lines create a sense of unease, like a memory trying to surface. Curator: I see that. Robertson seems to be drawing a contrast between the old structure and the newer buildings towering in the background. What do you make of that? Editor: It's about Boston’s transformation, the tension between preserving its past and embracing modernity. The Feather Store becomes a symbol of a bygone era. Curator: Indeed. Perhaps its very name—Feather Store—evokes a sense of lightness, contrasting with the encroaching weight of industrial progress. Editor: And the etching itself, with its deliberate roughness, emphasizes the store’s vulnerability against the relentless march of time. It's a potent image of urban evolution. Curator: I agree. Robertson’s work really highlights the evolving visual language of urban life. Editor: It's a beautiful, melancholic meditation on change and memory.