The Elevated Railroad at 110th Street 1914

Rachael Robinson Elmer created "The Elevated Railroad at 110th Street" as a postcard, a common format at the turn of the 20th century, using watercolor or gouache on paper. Elmer has depicted a view made possible by the materials of industrial modernity: steel and steam. The elevated railroad, looming above the verdant park scene, is rendered with precise lines, showcasing the grandeur and scale of the city's infrastructure. The presence of the railway contrasts sharply with the organic forms of the trees, and the traditional materials of pigment and paper used by the artist. The image reflects a complex moment in history, where industry and nature coexisted, and the rise of the urban landscape was both celebrated and critiqued. Elmer's composition captures this tension, using a mass-produced format to portray a rapidly changing world. It reminds us that even in the age of mechanical reproduction, the artist's hand and eye play a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the modern world.