Honesdale, Section 2, Del. & Hudson Canal Co. c. 1863 - 1865

Thomas H. Johnson created this albumen print, "Honesdale, Section 2, Del. & Hudson Canal Co.," sometime in the 1860s, showing a bird's-eye view of a company town. The image highlights Honesdale's built environment, dominated by churches and civic buildings. It was a time of rapid industrialization, and the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company played a crucial role in transporting coal from Pennsylvania to New York. Company towns arose as a way to house and control workers, so the photo subtly implies power dynamics between the company and its employees. We can see it not just as a record of a specific place, but as a symbol of the economic and social transformations of the era. To understand the image further, one might delve into the archives of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, local historical societies, and period newspapers. Art history emphasizes that meaning isn’t fixed. It's a product of its time.