Molasses Tank Looms
A towering, rust-streaked steel molasses tank looms over Boston’s North End in 1919. Its riveted seams strain, threatening to burst. Surrounding cobblestone streets are lined with brick tenements and wooden storefronts adorned with faded 'Purity Distilling Co.' signs. Workers in wool newsboy caps and suspenders shovel coal nearby, their breath visible in the cold January air. A horse-drawn cart loaded with barrels pauses beneath the tank as its driver, in a heavy overcoat, shouts to a woman in a long skirt and shawl carrying groceries. Overcast skies cast a gray-blue pallor, and faint steam rises from factory chimneys. The entire scene is tense, textured with peeling paint, icy puddles, and the ominous creak of metal.

