A Prospecte of Parker Hys House, from "Manners and Customs of Ye Bostonians" c. 19th century

Editor: This is Francis Gilbert Attwood's "A Prospecte of Parker Hys House, from 'Manners and Customs of Ye Bostonians.'" It's a small ink drawing packed with figures. What strikes me is the sheer density of people in what appears to be a public dining space. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The density is key. Attwood’s sketch captures a specific moment in Boston's social history, likely satirizing the exclusivity of Parker House. Do you think this is straightforward documentation or something more? Editor: I see the caricature in the figures, so definitely satire. Curator: Exactly. This image participates in a larger discourse about class and social mobility in late 19th-century Boston. The “manners and customs” are being observed, and judged. Editor: I never thought about it that way, but that makes so much sense. The drawing style feels like a commentary in itself. Curator: Precisely. Art becomes a record and a critique of societal dynamics.