Boston watering-cart 1857

Curator: This is a page from Ballou's Pictorial, dated September 12, 1857, featuring a design for a "Boston watering-cart" by Winslow Homer. Editor: It feels like a glimpse into a bustling city, with that watering cart like a giant, friendly beast lumbering down the street. Curator: The print offers a fascinating perspective on 19th-century urban infrastructure, right down to how labor and resources intersect in managing city streets. Editor: I love how the city's captured here as both gritty reality and a place of promise, a kind of romantic yearning in the hustle and bustle. Curator: It showcases a pivotal moment in art history, where print media democratized art accessibility, reaching a broader public than ever before. Editor: I agree, and the watering cart almost becomes a symbol of shared experiences, a reminder that even in the biggest cities, we're all walking the same streets.