Gezicht op Bethanië 1856 - 1860

This albumen print titled 'Gezicht op Bethanië' was made by Francis Frith. It gives a stereoscopic view of Bethany, today known as Al-Eizariya, which is located on the southeast slope of the Mount of Olives. Frith was part of a generation of photographers whose work coincided with a surge of European and American interest in the ‘Holy Land’. These images played a crucial role in shaping Western perceptions of this region. The image has an ethnographic function, recording local buildings and landscapes and feeding into the 19th-century fascination with documenting different cultures. It's important to remember that photography at this time was also closely linked to colonial projects, as images were used to classify and categorize people and places. By examining travelogues, missionary records, and colonial archives, we can gain a deeper understanding of the historical, cultural, and political context in which images like this were made and consumed. This kind of contextual research helps us to avoid simply taking such images at face value, and encourages us to think critically about the politics of representation.