Peace & Serenity

The Howl of the City

When cities in the West came into modern being, they were accompanied by a new sort of noise. The word that dominated Victorian novelists’ descriptions of the cities that sprang up or expanded during the Industrial Revolution was the word ‘howl’.

Industrial howl (Photo: Frans Van Heerden)

Suddenly, there were steelworks, ironworks, coal mines; suddenly, there were trains, railway lines, platforms full of passengers. The cities themselves were full of more people than ever, hawking their wares, fighting and arguing, screaming and shouting.

There were policemen, for the first time, with their whistles and batons. There were street traders, buskers, and all the entertainments that city dwellers demand e.g. music, theatre, opera, and the beginnings of film.

Modern howl (Photo: mauro mora)

These days, cities are noisy, but in a different way. We have cars, for example. But still, the noise can induce anxiety, even if we are very used to it.

Industrial howl (Photo: Frans Van Heerden)

Suddenly, there were steelworks, ironworks, coal mines; suddenly, there were trains, railway lines, platforms full of passengers. The cities themselves were full of more people than ever, hawking their wares, fighting and arguing, screaming and shouting.

There were policemen, for the first time, with their whistles and batons. There were street traders, buskers, and all the entertainments that city dwellers demand e.g. music, theatre, opera, and the beginnings of film.

Modern howl (Photo: mauro mora)

These days, cities are noisy, but in a different way. We have cars, for example. But still, the noise can induce anxiety, even if we are very used to it.