Foshay Tower 1925

Editor: This print, "Foshay Tower" by Mr. H. Lindley Hosford, is an etching from 1925 depicting the titular building. It's incredibly detailed, capturing the tower in mid-construction. The almost sepia tone gives it a nostalgic, historical feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see more than just a cityscape, I see a powerful statement about progress, power, and the intersection of capitalism and architecture in the early 20th century. The Foshay Tower, modeled after the Washington Monument, was an unabashed display of wealth during a period of both great prosperity and growing inequality. Consider the building’s namesake, Wilbur Foshay, who ultimately defrauded investors; how does knowing that history shape our reading of the image? Editor: That’s interesting, I hadn't considered that aspect. It’s almost like the print unknowingly foreshadows the eventual economic struggles that followed the Roaring Twenties. So, the style— Modernism—was intended to express that wealth? Curator: Exactly! Modernism here represents both an aesthetic and an ideology. Look at the sharp, vertical lines of the unfinished tower and the stark contrast with the older, smaller structures in the background. Who does this era’s architecture typically serve? Also, note that this print predates the Great Depression by only a few years. Does that impact how we might view it, knowing the economic hardship that followed soon after? Editor: That's a really powerful point. Thinking about it as more than just a building, but a symbol of a specific time and its contradictions, really opens up a new way of seeing it. Thank you. Curator: And for me, this dialogue reaffirms how crucial it is to continuously question the narratives embedded in these symbols of power and wealth, urging us to look beyond surface appearances.