Broadway, New York from Warren to Reade Street 1850 - 1860

Editor: This is "Broadway, New York from Warren to Reade Street," a lithograph made sometime between 1850 and 1860 by Dumcke and Keil. The buildings and carriages teem with detail. What does this image say about life in New York at the time? Curator: What I see is not merely a cityscape, but a snapshot of societal aspirations and the nascent capitalist engine. Consider the figures promenading: who has access to this Broadway, this spectacle? Note the architecture, grand but also imposing. It suggests permanence, establishment, and implicitly, exclusion. What power structures do you think are being reinforced here? Editor: Well, the architecture definitely suggests wealth and power. And seeing only certain people on the street does raise a question of who is welcome, and who isn't. Do you think the artists, Dumcke and Keil, were trying to make a specific statement? Curator: That's a fascinating question. Given the period, it's likely they were reflecting the dominant narratives of progress and prosperity. But every image is also a potential critique. Who benefits from this 'progress'? Whose labor built these structures? What is missing from this picture? The absence of certain stories can be just as telling as their presence. Editor: That's such a good point –thinking about what’s NOT shown, who isn't present in the image. It completely reframes how I see the work. Curator: Precisely. And how does this 19th-century visualization of Broadway resonate with the Broadway of today? Have the power dynamics shifted, or merely evolved? Editor: I see so much more in this print now – layers of meaning I didn’t even consider. Thank you for sharing your perspective. Curator: My pleasure. Keep questioning those images! They hold more than meets the eye.