Gezicht op Nelson's Column, te Londen 1843 - 1885

This print, titled "View of Nelson's Column in London," was made by an anonymous artist. It’s a small work, just a few inches tall and wide. The image was likely produced through etching, engraving, or a similar form of printmaking. These techniques involve using acid or a tool to incise lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. This process is itself a form of mass production, allowing the same image to be reproduced many times. Here, it allows for the dissemination of this view of Trafalgar Square. It is important to consider how this print served to popularize the image of Nelson's Column and Trafalgar Square, as emblems of British imperial power. At the same time, the method of printmaking itself – a kind of proto-industrial technique – speaks to the era's shifting modes of production and consumption. The very act of creating and distributing this image is tied to wider social issues of labor, politics, and the burgeoning culture of mass media.