High Bridge and high service engine house and tower before 1872

This is an albumen print of the High Bridge with the High Service Engine House and Tower, made by George Gardner Rockwood. During the latter half of the 19th century, New York City was rapidly expanding, and with it, the need for infrastructure. Rockwood’s photo presents the High Bridge as a feat of engineering. It also quietly highlights the unsung labor of the working class, many of whom were immigrants, who constructed these massive public works. It is important to remember that these workers often faced dangerous conditions and discrimination. In this context, the photograph is more than a record; it's a social document that prompts us to reflect on whose stories are visibly told and whose are structurally embedded. It invites us to consider the relationship between progress, labor, and the ever-evolving urban landscape.