Hackney Coach and Cabriolet Fares/ Regulations and Acts of Parliament (Handkerchief) 1832

Curator: This engaging piece, "Hackney Coach and Cabriolet Fares/ Regulations and Acts of Parliament," created in 1832, comes to us as a mixed-media textile incorporating lithographic prints. It’s currently part of the collection here at The Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: My first impression? A busy, fascinating map…or maybe an elaborate board game printed on a handkerchief? There’s so much visual information crammed in there! Curator: Indeed. It's almost overwhelming in its detail, isn’t it? Visually, the structure is grid-like, each square presenting a snippet of London life. The materiality, being printed on woven textile, elevates the common fare—fare regulations, to be exact—to the status of decorative art. Editor: So, utilitarian design elevated through medium! I wonder who originally owned this. Imagine someone pulling this out on a London street corner, debating cab fares while simultaneously wiping their brow. I love the simultaneity of civic life and personal experience. It feels like a direct link to the past! Curator: Precisely! The piece cleverly juxtaposes iconic architectural images—St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Exchange, even images of early transportation methods, with dense, textual blocks outlining fares and regulations. Consider this semiotically: the images serve as anchors while the text creates a sense of coded knowledge—available but not immediately decipherable. Editor: So, a microcosm of London society then. And not without its own hidden biases I bet. Did everyone know how to read or have access to hackney carriages back then? I imagine class played a significant role. This is less an objective guide and more a map of a very specific social stratum. Curator: I think you’re spot on. And the presentation as a textile—presumably relatively affordable, as textiles usually were—hints at aspirations toward civic engagement, albeit probably constrained. Think about its intended purpose; dissemination of governmental information. Perhaps Bishop wanted the law accessible, yet decoratively so? Editor: What a curious blend of the everyday and the grand, utility and decoration! I came here thinking, "charming antique," and now I'm considering London’s social stratifications! Curator: Exactly the point! Thank you for lending that viewpoint; it makes a person wonder, doesn’t it? The details tell a whole other story when they come into play, the piece leaves much to consider.