City Watchman
by William P Chappel
Title
City Watchman
Artist
William P Chappel
Medium
Photograph - Oil On Slate Paper
Description
By William P. Chappel, ca. 1870. Before New York City established a professional police force in the 1840s, residents relied on a patchwork system of constables, marshals, and watchmen tasked with maintaining order in an increasingly unruly city. Here we see a watchman, armed with his stick and leather helmet, out on a snowy evening patrol. So-called leatherheads looked out for fires and criminal activity, such as break-ins and grave robberies.
Chappel was a Manhattan native who made a modest living as a tinsmith and resided with his wife and kids at 165 Bowery opposite the Bowery Theatre.
Uploaded
August 26th, 2019
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Viewed 1,969 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/19/2024 at 3:00 AM
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