The Night Express 

Editor: This lithograph, "The Night Express," attributed to Currier and Ives, is just captivating! The train, poised for departure, has such a sense of forward motion despite being static. What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: I see the industrial revolution idealized. Currier and Ives were masters of popular imagery, shaping how the American public perceived progress. This image is less about individual experience and more about the collective belief in technology as a sign of national strength and modernity. Consider the distribution of these prints – widely accessible, reinforcing a specific narrative. Do you see how the 'Night Express' symbolizes connectivity not just geographically, but also ideologically? Editor: That’s interesting. So, it’s not just a picture of a train, it's more about what the train represents to society at that time? Like, linking the country together, progress and speed, things like that? Curator: Exactly! And who had access to this progress? Who benefitted? What stories were being left untold in favor of this triumphant narrative of expansion? Notice the darkness, it almost cloaks potential social and economic divisions facilitated by new technology in that period. Does it glorify progress while overshadowing less appealing socio-economic inequalities, class segregation? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it like that, but it makes sense. It presents this exciting, almost romantic view, but perhaps ignores the tougher realities that were developing at the time. Thanks for that perspective! Curator: It’s vital to unpack those layers. Thinking about the visual culture and the public’s participation within its realm offers critical lessons regarding the intersection of technology and the politics of representation.