Fuldmægtig Hansen i Kbh's Udskrivningskontor 1829 - 1899

This print, by H.P. Hansen, depicts a man, likely in Copenhagen, with a top hat, a walking stick, and a cigar. The walking stick is more than a mere tool; it is a scepter of bourgeois authority, an emblem of control and stability. Consider how this symbol echoes through history. Think of the staffs of Roman emperors, symbols of command and power, later mirrored in religious iconography as the bishop’s crosier or royal scepters. The scepter, originally signaling patriarchal power, has softened over time into the walking stick. Here, it speaks of the bureaucrat’s measured gait, the controlled movements of a man navigating the structured world of 19th-century officialdom. The act of smoking also has symbolic weight: a momentary escape, a personal ritual in the face of societal demands. This is more than a portrait; it is a map of cultural memory. The symbol of the stick is reborn, revealing the cyclical nature of power and status through time.