Kanonnen op fort Adda in Alexandrië before 1885

This anonymous print captures the dismantled cannons at Fort Adda in Alexandria. These cannons, instruments of power and dominance, evoke a lineage stretching back through time, echoing the thunderbolts of Zeus or the forges of Vulcan. Consider the cannon as a symbol: it is not merely a tool of destruction, but a totem of human ambition and technological prowess. We see echoes of this form in earlier mythologies – the club of Hercules, the hammer of Thor – all extensions of human will, amplified to godlike proportions. The motif of destruction, evident in the dismantling, carries its own complex weight. Is it a symbol of defeat, or perhaps a promise of peace? Throughout history, the broken weapon has signified both endings and beginnings. Think of the shattered idols of conquered gods, or the ploughshares forged from swords. The image taps into a primal understanding that nothing remains static. These cannons, frozen in print, remind us that symbols are never fixed. They evolve, adapt, and resurface, echoing through time.