View of the New Bridge and Westminster Abby, view from Mr. Scheve's Sugar House 1749

Editor: This is Samuel Buck's panoramic view of the New Bridge and Westminster Abbey, made sometime in the 18th century. It has a documentary feel, almost like a photograph. What details stand out to you? Curator: I'm struck by the bustle. The Thames is a highway! Each boat, a little story. It’s a reminder that even grand architecture exists within the messy, glorious reality of daily life. The Sugar House, a witness to it all, I wonder what Mr. Scheve was thinking... Editor: I hadn't considered that. It’s like the Sugar House is another character. Curator: Exactly! And the moon… isn’t it whimsical? Perhaps Buck was reminding us of the transient nature of it all. It makes you feel wistful, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely. I’ll never look at a cityscape the same way again.