Otto Coke and Coal Hoist 1914

Elisha Kent Kane Wetherill made this etching, Otto Coke and Coal Hoist, sometime around the turn of the century. The cool thing about etchings is the way lines get made: it’s all about the controlled accident. Wetherill scratches into a metal plate, dips it in acid, and then the acid bites away at the exposed lines. There’s something about the way this industrial scene is rendered that makes it feel almost… ghostly. The lines are delicate, almost hesitant, creating this web-like structure that barely contains the hulking forms of the coal hoist. There’s a real beauty in the way the light catches the edges of the structure, creating these soft, blurry areas. It reminds me a bit of Whistler’s industrial scenes, only a bit more raw. Like he's showing us the beauty in these massive structures, but also hinting at the grime and grit of the industrial age. I love how the steely blacks create this sense of depth and complexity, making the whole scene feel alive.