Gezicht op Westford street te Lowell before 1892

This photomechanical print offers an early glimpse of Westford Street in Lowell, Massachusetts, its author lost to history. As you look at this image, consider Lowell's story as a 19th-century industrial center, a planned city that drew young women from rural areas to work in its textile mills. These women, often from New England farms, sought economic independence, yet faced harsh working conditions and strict social controls. The presence of electricity poles hints at technological advancement, but also at the changing social landscape. The church tower on the left speaks to the established social and religious structures of the time. The rows of trees lining the street offer a sense of order, yet their presence evokes the natural world, a contrast to the built environment of factories and homes. What stories do you think the streets and buildings hold? What can we learn about gender, labor, and the American Dream from this quiet street?