Sugar Refineries, East River, NY

James Craig Nicoll, artist

1846–1918

Sugar Refineries, East River, NY, 1884

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: etching

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 190 x 270 mm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 346 x 440 mm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 7 1/2 x 10 5/8 in
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 13 5/8 x 17 5/16 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 16 x 20 in

Credit line: Gift of Steven Schmidt, Class of 1958

Accession number: 1995.0096

On display: Simons Gallery

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Label texts

Soundings: Making Culture at Sea

In the 19th century the East River in Brooklyn, New York, was the center of the sugar refining industry, its banks lined with refineries, including one for Domino Sugar. The river also connected this production hub to maritime locations like the Caribbean, the source of sugarcane crops. The dark lines of the etching capture the urban grit of this industrial waterway. The billowing smokestack also suggests the polluting effect this lucrative business had on its environment.