-Independence Hall Tower- semi-mechanical bank 1875

Curator: This curious object is a semi-mechanical bank in the shape of Independence Hall Tower. It was crafted by the Enterprise Manufacturing Company in 1875. Editor: It's weighty, somber. I picture it sitting on some bank manager’s ornate desk back in the day—a tiny sentinel of savings. It evokes a sternness, a sense of fiscal responsibility, don't you think? Curator: Yes, its architectural structure exudes authority. Note the strict verticality, the repetitive geometric forms. Each tier is a self-contained unit, contributing to an overall impression of stability and order. Editor: And yet, miniature! There's a playful tension there. The seriousness of civic architecture miniaturized into something collectible, a child’s bank even. What’s the materiality—metal, looks like? Curator: Indeed, metal—likely cast iron, a durable choice. Its surfaces are weathered, but the essential forms retain clarity, exhibiting principles of symmetry and proportion that were important during that era. The rust almost feels patriotic somehow. Editor: Patina of liberty! I wonder what inspired the artist to create this semi-mechanical bank from found objects? Curator: The "semi-mechanical" element is intriguing. We must remember the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 loomed, and the USA would be thrust into international view for technology, so there are complex historical connotations imbedded in the form here. Editor: Ah, so a hopeful time, then, tempered perhaps by the economic realities symbolized by the act of saving. It bridges commerce and civics. It's pretty inventive. Curator: It serves as both sculpture and assemblage, a functional object imbued with symbolic value. It stands as a powerful artifact. Editor: It's history compressed. Curator: Precisely, and through its materials, forms, and context, invites sustained scrutiny. Editor: Absolutely. And I guess that makes it an artwork, if people keep looking at it long enough.