Caisson being sunk, and shewing temporary caisson bolted on 1885

This anonymous photograph captures the sinking of a caisson, a pivotal moment in engineering history. The caisson itself, a monumental, enclosed structure, descends, reminiscent of ancient burial chambers or even a vessel for navigating the underworld. The act of sinking evokes profound, primordial images of submersion and transformation. We see echoes of this motif across cultures, from the Egyptian funerary boats carrying souls into the afterlife to the myths of sunken cities, lost to the depths. Consider the psychological weight of this act: the deliberate lowering of a massive form into darkness, a powerful metaphor for confronting the unknown. The caisson, much like a seed buried in the earth, holds the promise of future construction, a rebirth of sorts. The symbolic journey from light to darkness and back again is deeply embedded in our collective unconscious, a cyclical narrative that continues to resonate.