This early twentieth-century postcard presents a smiling child chimney sweep—barefoot, mud-streaked, and holding the rod used to clean coal-burning flues.

Such images were often circulated as symbols of good luck, their cheer masking the brutal reality of child labor embedded within industrial energy systems.

Chimney sweeps kept the machinery of coal-heated cities functioning, their small bodies essential to maintaining domestic and urban infrastructure. In this reinterpretation, the child is rendered in 3D and appears to step out of the tilted postcard front, now placed atop its reverse. Muddy footprints mark his exit, collapsing representation into presence.

Diagonal French handwriting cuts across the image, while sideways stamps—signaling dissatisfaction in the period’s visual language—quietly complicate the card’s charm. The work exposes how innocence and exploitation were aestheticized in the service of energy and progress.

Each one of Peter Tertzakian's artworks from this series comes framed, with D-rings and hanging wires for easy installation. Additionally, each piece from this series comes with a reproduction of the postcard of inspiration securely placed on the back of the work alongside the label text about the work. For additional information or to inquire about our installation services email [email protected].

*Please note that all works over 30” will not be available for shipping.