Britse militairen rusten na een gevecht bij de Modderrivier, Zuid-Afrika 1900

This stereoscopic image, made by an anonymous photographer around the turn of the 20th century, was created using a twin-lensed camera, producing a 3D effect when viewed through a special device. It shows British soldiers resting after a battle near the Modder River in South Africa. The materiality of this image speaks to the rise of photography as a tool of documentation and propaganda. Printed in mass production, these stereo cards were a popular form of entertainment, bringing distant lands and events into people's homes. The sepia tone lends a sense of nostalgia, even as the subject matter hints at the brutal realities of colonial warfare. Consider the labor involved: from the photographer capturing the scene, to the workers producing the prints, and the soldiers themselves. The image encapsulates the intersection of technology, conflict, and the human cost of empire. This challenges us to think about the relationship between image-making, consumption, and the complex social and political context of the time.