For Defense 1941

Hannah M. Christie made this print, "For Defense," with a lot of light and dark, a real chiaroscuro situation. It’s like she carved this scene right out of the night itself. I imagine her, leaning in close to the plate, the smell of ink filling the air, carefully etching each line. Look at those sparks flying! You can almost feel the heat radiating off the molten metal. And the way she's captured the workers, their faces obscured, but their labor so present—it makes you think about all the unseen hands that shape our world. It makes me think of Charles Sheeler, who found beauty in factories and machines. Christie does something similar, but with a grittier, more human touch. It's not just about the machines; it's about the people who operate them. It’s a dance of industry.