The Tracks, Chicago 1910

Joseph Pennell made this etching, "The Tracks, Chicago," using metal, acid, and ink. This wasn’t an industrial process as such, but it shares the quality of reproduction central to industrial manufacturing. Etchings like this one exist in multiple impressions, blurring the line between the unique artwork and mass-produced image. Pennell made the picture by drawing through a waxy ground on a metal plate, which was then submerged in acid, biting the exposed lines. After this, the plate was inked and printed onto paper. Look closely, and you can see the dense hatching that Pennell used to create a sense of atmosphere. The image itself shows Chicago as a city in the making, a site of constant activity and transformation. This view is achieved through labor, both the labor of the city-builders and the artist himself. Ultimately, this artwork shows how even a traditional medium like etching can capture the dynamism of modern life. It’s a testament to the power of both artistic skill and industrial progress.