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Wednesday 27 April 2011

The Jungle (Upton Sinclair: Stockyard Fundamentals, c. 1900)


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http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3b50000/3b53000/3b53100/3b53127r.jpg

The Great Union Stockyards of Chicago, with packing houses in the distance; covered pens for hogs and sheep; open pens for cattle; area of yards, 75 acres; 50 miles railroad tracks; daily capacity 25,000 head cattle, 160,000 hogs, 10,000 sheep and 1000 horses: photo by Charles Rascher for Walsh & Company, c. 1878 (Library of Congress)



It was the incarnation of blind insensate Greed. It was a monster devouring with a thousand mouths, trampling with a thousand hoofs: it was the Great Butcher — it was the spirit of Capitalism made flesh.


Upton Sinclair: from The Jungle, 1906




http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Chicago_stockyards_cattle_pens_men_1909.jpg

In the heart of the Great Union Stockyards of Chicago: photographer unknown, for Kelley & Chadwick, c. 1909 (Library of Congress)

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View of the elevated railway track near animal pens in the New City community area of Chicago: photographer unknown, for Chicago Daily News, 1907 (Chicago Historical Society/Library of Congress)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Slaughterhouse1909.jpg

Man washing two cattle carcasses with a fountain brush in Swift & Company plant at the stockyards in the New City community area of Chicago: photographer unknown, for Chicago Daily News, 1909 (Chicago Historical Society/Library of Congress)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Chicago_meat_inspection_swift_co_1906.jpg

Splitting backbones and final inspection -- hogs ready for cooler, Swift & Company, Chicago: photo by H.C. White, c. 24 February 1906 (Library of Congress)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Beef_industry_panorama_1900_loc.jpg

Panoramic picture illustrating the beef industry, Chicago: photos by George R. Lawrence, c. 1900 (Library of Congress)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Pork_panorama.jpg

Panoramic picture illustrating the pork industry, Chicago: photos by George R. Lawrence, c. 1900 (Library of Congress)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/A_half-mile_of_pork%2C_Armour%27s_great_packing_house%2C_Chicago%2C_Ill%2C_from_Robert_N._Dennis_collection_of_stereoscopic_views.png

A half-mile of pork -- Armour's great packing house, Chicago
: photographer unknown, c. 1890, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views (New York Public Library Digital Collection)


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/The_last_process_in_dressing_beef_-_washing_with_boiling_water._Chicago%2C_Ill.%2C_U.S.A%2C_from_Robert_N._Dennis_collection_of_stereoscopic_views.png

The last process in dressing beef: washing with boiling water: photographer unknown, c. 1890, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views (New York Public Library Digital Collection)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/From_Kansas_plains_%28...%29%2C_Union_Stock_Yards_%28stockyards%29%2C_Chicago%2C_U.S.A%2C_from_Robert_N._Dennis_collection_of_stereoscopic_views.png

From Kansas plains to the corners of the globe they go; Union Stock Yards, Chicago: photographer unknown, c. 1870-1900, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views (New York Public Library Digital Collection)

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