Ruïnes na de Great Boston Fire of 1872 op de kruising van Summer, Federal en Purchase Street 1872

James Wallace Black captured "Ruins after the Great Boston Fire of 1872 at the Intersection of Summer, Federal and Purchase Street," using photography. Photography in the 19th century was more than documentation; it was a tool for shaping collective memory and understanding the socio-economic impacts of events like the Great Fire. As Boston rose from the ashes, the photographic representation served as a stark reminder of vulnerability. Black's image invites a dialogue about urban resilience and the socio-economic disparities that shape recovery. The ruins, like scars, mark a moment of collective trauma, questioning how urban planning and societal structures influence who suffers most in such disasters, and who benefits from reconstruction. The image is not just a historical record; it's an emotional landscape that resonates with contemporary concerns about inequality and resilience in the face of disaster.