Gezicht op Sion, met op de achtergrond het Château de Tourbillon after 1873

Florentin Charnaux created this stereoscopic photograph of Sion, Switzerland in the mid-19th century. These images were incredibly popular at the time, a kind of proto-virtual reality for middle-class consumers wanting to experience the world from the comfort of their homes. Here, the framing and vantage point are key. Note the figure in the foreground, carefully posed on the hillside overlooking the town. This compositional choice invites the viewer to imaginatively place themselves in the same position, gazing upon the picturesque view. Switzerland's burgeoning tourist industry seized on images like these to promote the country as a destination. The romantic imagery of the Alps and quaint villages promised an escape from the industrializing cities of Europe. Images like these constructed and reinforced Switzerland’s image as a rural idyll. To fully understand images like these, historians can consult tourist guides, travelogues, and marketing materials from the period to understand the broader cultural context that gave them meaning. Art is never made in a vacuum, and photographs such as this were crucial to the formation of a modern tourist economy.