Lighting the Heart of Darkness
Lighting the Heart of Darkness
This chapter examines the role of gas streetlamps in community security in American cities during the 1800s. It describes a gas lamp that served as an outpost of order in the notorious Five Points neighborhood in Manhattan in 1850. It suggests that during this period gas lamps can be considered the best policemen because they allowed the nocturnal city to be seen, understood, and safely navigated. This chapter also mentions that property and public safety were thought to be secure in the presence of gas lamps and at grave risk in their absence.
Keywords: gas streetlamps, community security, five points, manhattan, property safety, public safety
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