Gasmeter 1868

This is a Gasmeter made by Brunt & C. What does it mean to live in an age of readily available power, to be able to light a room with the flick of a switch, to cook a meal without tending a fire? Imagine a time when energy wasn't so easily accessible. Consider the labor, the danger, and the inequity involved in the pre-electrification era. This Gasmeter, a relic of that time, embodies the shift toward industrialized energy consumption. The Gasmeter signifies a transition from individual, often gendered, labor to a more centralized, commodified system. The gas industry, like many industrial sectors, was built on the exploitation of workers, often from marginalized communities. While it brought progress, it also deepened existing social divides. Think about the human stories intertwined with this object: the workers who manufactured it, the families who relied on it, and the environmental impact of its use. It challenges us to consider our relationship to energy and its social and environmental consequences.