Brandwachttoren op de Nevski Prospekt in Sint-Petersburg c. 1860 - 1880

Alfred Lorens captured the Brandwachttoren on Nevski Prospekt in Sint-Petersburg with photography. The tower itself, a slender structure rising above the urban landscape, is crowned with a spire and a weather vane. Consider the tower through history; the ancient Pharos of Alexandria, with its beacon guiding sailors, reappears in the medieval watchtowers dotting the countryside, each an eye against potential threats. We find it again here. Each iteration carries within it the memory of its predecessors, an enduring symbol of vigilance and hope. This tower is more than bricks and mortar; it is a vessel carrying our collective hopes and anxieties across time. It’s a landmark of our deepest fears, a testament to our enduring quest for safety and knowledge.