-Four Tower- still bank c. 1895

Curator: This intriguing object is entitled "-Four Tower- still bank," created around 1895 by the Kenton Hardware Manufacturing Co. Editor: It’s an interesting form, reminiscent of some kind of civic building, yet undeniably… miniature. Almost toylike, despite its sturdy material. It reads as pretty sterile due to its white pigmented surface, as the lack of other color drains the vitality of the piece. Curator: Banks held immense social and economic power in the late 19th century, especially as industrialization expanded. This object serves not merely as a container for coins but as a symbolic representation of this power dynamic, inculcating ideas about the importance of saving in the generations to come. Editor: So it’s about reinforcing certain socio-economic norms? By visually mimicking institutional architecture, like government buildings and courthouses, this still bank subtly legitimizes finance for the individual—even when so many lacked access or control of it. Did this manufacturer make toys or architectural models or were they going for the financial zeitgeist? Curator: Kenton Hardware focused on cast iron toys. It’s interesting how a material associated with mass production is here employed to evoke the sense of enduring solidity and trustworthiness that banks wished to project during an era marked by both industrial growth and economic volatility. Editor: The towers, while proportionally diminutive, suggest watchfulness and protection—like a fortress. The color does affect my understanding though: If this bank replica were another hue, say, copper or bronze, my perception would be radically altered. It could go from fortress to a more personable scale. It does not communicate the power or significance that a modern bank tries to, maybe a small credit union or community bank is more of what it suggests. Curator: Indeed, pigment influences our associations greatly, doesn't it? Considering the financial climate back then, with booms and busts directly impacting communities, I wonder if people ever ironically juxtaposed the image of stability this little 'bank' projected with the precarity they experienced. Editor: An interesting point – prompting reflection on whether such objects eased anxieties or amplified them for families negotiating economic hardships. Curator: It is a testament to the layered interpretations that can emerge from even a seemingly straightforward utilitarian object like this one. Editor: Precisely; revealing how artifacts shape and mirror our relationship to complex structures like the banking system.