Shickshinny, Pennsylvania (Susquehanna at Shickshinny); Weir on the Susquehanna 1852

This is a drawing entitled 'Shickshinny, Pennsylvania', by Thomas Addison Richards. The humble fishing weir depicted here taps into primal human connections to nature and sustenance, echoing ancient river civilizations. Note how the structure is a crude wooden shack on stilts. It bears a resemblance to similar structures used across cultures and millennia: for example, one might think of the stilt houses found in Neolithic Swiss lakes, or even contemporary fishing villages in Southeast Asia. The simple act of fishing, too, is laden with symbolism. It reminds us of Saint Peter, the fisherman called by Christ, thus linking the image to themes of faith and vocation. Furthermore, consider how fishing has always been connected with ideas of luring and capturing, and the tension between man and nature, each trying to outwit the other. The weir becomes more than just a tool; it represents a continuity of human ingenuity, a link to our collective past and timeless interplay with the natural world.