Kermisprent van de gaslantaarnopstekers van Amsterdam voor het jaar 1870 1870

This print, made in Amsterdam in 1870, is a tribute to the city’s gas lamplighters, those municipal employees who lit and maintained the gas streetlights. It speaks to the transformations of the 19th century, when cities were being reshaped by new technologies. The image presents a romanticized view of Amsterdam, with its iconic architecture and busy waterways. The verses beneath the title "The Gaslighter" suggests the lamplighters are figures of progress, ensuring safety and order. This was a time of rapid industrialization in the Netherlands, and the print offers a glimpse into the social hierarchy of the era. It presents the working class not as revolutionaries, but as playing their part in the modern city. To understand the print better, we might consult municipal records, newspaper accounts, and photographs to reconstruct the daily lives of the gas lamplighters, and the social function of public lighting. By examining the cultural context, we can better understand the complex relationship between art, labor, and social progress.