Buitgemaakte Mexicaanse kanonnen, West Point, New York 1863 - 1894

George Barker captured these Mexican cannons at West Point, New York, in a photograph of an indeterminate date. Row upon row, these objects of war stand silent, each a dark cylinder contrasting with the open field. Cannons have long symbolized power, echoing through history from ancient siege engines to modern artillery. This display mirrors the Roman custom of displaying spoils of war, where captured arms served as potent symbols of victory and dominance. Like trophies displayed on triumphal arches, these cannons evoke a complex mix of pride for the victors and subjugation for the vanquished. The repetition of the cannon form speaks to the industrialization of warfare, a relentless churning out of instruments of destruction. Yet, arranged almost ceremoniously, they also take on a funerary aspect, a mass grave of potential violence, rendered impotent but forever marked by the trauma of conflict. Here, the collective memory of war manifests, these cannons resonating with the silent screams of past battles. This is more than a display of captured artillery; it is a powerful, if mute, testament to the cyclical nature of conflict.