Gezicht op Washington Street, Boston, met links de toren van de Old South Meeting House

This is a photograph of Washington Street in Boston, captured by Chandler Seaver Jr., though we don't know exactly when. The image is remarkable for its directness, achieved through the then-new technology of photography. Rather than carefully composing a scene, Seaver captured a slice of urban life as it was being lived and worked. The various commercial buildings, each stacked one on top of the other, advertise the goods and services available: furniture, jewelry, and dyeing services. Each sign indicates the labor involved in creating and distributing these goods. The photograph also demonstrates the rapid pace of change brought about by industrialization, and how modes of production and consumption were evolving in the 19th century. In that sense, the materiality of this photograph isn't just about the chemicals and paper used, but the buildings and objects, as well. It underscores how photography was rapidly changing how we perceive our surroundings.