Callowhill Street Bridge 1880

Joseph Pennell made this print, “Callowhill Street Bridge,” around 1880. It’s an etching, meaning that the artist used acid to bite lines into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed. In Pennell’s time, printmaking was crucial for circulating images of modernity, like this bridge. But consider the labor involved. The etcher needed skill to handle the acid, and to apply and wipe away the ink just so. The press operator had to apply the right pressure to transfer the image to paper. The view itself speaks to labor and class too. The bridge itself made possible the transport of goods and people, but its construction would have been dangerous work. And the surrounding buildings are a mix of domestic and commercial architecture, reflecting the dynamic urban environment. Pennell’s etching reminds us that even a seemingly straightforward image is the result of complex processes, both artistic and social.