The "L" and Trinity Building c. 1905

Curator: Joseph Pennell’s etching, "The ‘L’ and Trinity Building," captures a slice of old New York. It's held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The stark contrast immediately grabs you; the skeletal new building looms over the ornate older ones. It's like witnessing time collapsing. Curator: Pennell often portrayed the modern city, framing architecture as a symbol of progress but also societal transformation. Note the elevated train, a marvel of its time. Editor: The train seems almost nostalgic, a phantom against the brute force of the unfinished skyscraper. It highlights the ephemeral nature of progress. Curator: Precisely. The ‘L,’ or elevated railway, enabled urban expansion. Pennell highlights technology's influence on the urban landscape and social structure. Editor: And the open framework of the skyscraper… it’s a potent symbol of ambition, but also vulnerability, like an exposed nerve. Curator: Indeed. This image reflects the complex relationship between the old and the new, the rapid pace of change, and its impact on the city’s identity. Editor: The etching is far more than just a depiction; it's a meditation on the forces shaping the modern world, a world constantly under construction.